


Wake Up, Mike

by killerkanato



Series: WUM Trilogy [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hawkins (Stranger Things), Kidnapping, Nightmares, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Romantic Fluff, The Upside Down
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-01-23 03:54:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 42
Words: 34,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21313747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerkanato/pseuds/killerkanato
Summary: Life for Mike Wheeler was hard, living with and hiding a girl that could do supernatural things. A constant battle.But life was even harder when she was gone. And he'd choose the dangerous life of Eleven, over her absence, any day.-After the events of season one, Eleven is stuck in the Upside Down. Mike is miserable without her and tries everything he can think of to help her out. But Eleven doesn't need help, as she proves time and time again.!!THIS STORY WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2016, SO MAX IS MY OWN CHARACTER. I PLANNED HER ENTIRE CHARACTER, ASIDE FROM HER FIRST NAME. THANK YOU!!
Relationships: Dustin Henderson/Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Series: WUM Trilogy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907482
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ✿ATTENTION: This is based off of SEASON ONE Mileven, the Eleven and Mike you read about are the Eleven and Mike from A YEAR AFTER season one✿
> 
> disclaimer: I wrote this in 2016 so not only does it suck, but I wrote it before any information was released for season two.

_Mike._

_My waffles are taking forever, I don't understand. What makes today any different than yesterday?_

_Nancy was already eating, my mom was feeding Holly, and my dad was reading the paper. That's when there was a knock at the door, and everyone looked at each other with challenging eyes._

_"I'll get it." I rolled my eyes, deciding I'd just do it considering I'm already standing. I jogged to the door, unlocking it and swinging it open. At first, I only took in the silhouette of a girl. Then I was engulfed in a giant hug before I could fully register who was at my door._

_The arms around my waist had such a homie feel to them, and her scent was just...familiar, she's familiar._

_She surprised me with her hug, causing me to close my eyes. By the time I opened them again, I was practically sobbing._

_"El, oh my god," I cried, holding her even tighter._

_"Mike," she whispered back, her body shaking with sobs._

_That's when my mom ran into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. I didn't care, though, I just held El and didn't let go._

_Then, my mom approached me and pulled me away carefully. She held my shoulders and bent down to my level, looking me straight in the eyes._

_"Wake up, Michael," she said frantically, and I just didn't understand._

"Wake up!"

My eyes shot open and I was met with mostly darkness, but also my mom. She was holding my hand and looking at me with a sad expression. I woke up a bit more when I felt how hot I was. I could feel the sweat on my face and...tears? I didn't know I cried during my nightmares.

"Michael, honey, you were having a bad dream again. Would you please tell me what they're about? I'll try to help," my mom begged, but I just shook my head and closed my eyes again. "Alright, I'll let you sleep."

She left, I was alone, and I was free to cry.


	2. One

_Dustin._

We met up in the morning, as usual, but Mike didn't show up. So, we went to school anyway, hoping to see him there. He was there, he was just about twenty minutes early and sitting outside the school doors. We all gave each other a knowing glance before approaching him.

"Hey, Mike, why so early?" I spoke up, but he just shrugged. He was staring ahead at nothing with his eyes half closed. His shoulders were more slumped than usual and I sighed deeply. "How bad was it this time?"

"Worst one yet," He stated bluntly, and the three of us shared another look. We didn't say anything else, we just let him sit. There's nothing you can do to make Mike feel better when he's sad over Eleven. He just becomes this robot, almost. Going through the motions of the day with no real emotions.

Soon, the bell rang, and he walked ahead of us into the school.

"We need to do something about this, he's suffering," Will spoke up when he was out of ear shot. Lucas and I agreed immediately.

-

_Mike._

I know they're talking about me, but I don't care. I'm fine, just a bit down. Who wouldn't be after such bad nightmares?

When we got to our class, they kept looking at me with worried eyes. It got annoying very quickly.

"Guys, I'm fine," Was all I said, but it wasn't enough.

"Mike, we're worried. It's been months, you shouldn't still be so-" I turned my head to look at Dustin with a dull look, making him stop mid sentence. "We're just worried about you, we want to help stop the nightmares."

"Ok, well, get back to me when you find her," I spoke bitterly, not really meaning to. I'm just so tense lately and it doesn't help that I'm getting such little sleep.

The bell rang again after a few minutes of awkward silence, which I was thankful for. I can't stand being quiet around them, it's just so odd. Now we literally _have_ to be quiet, or we'll get in trouble.

I couldn't pay attention, though. My mind kept drifting back to my dream. It was wonderful to have her in my arms, it felt so real. That's why it hurts so much, _it_ _feels so real. _It's painful and it's every night.

I know my friends are just worried about me, but I can't help but be a bit rude about it. They can't help, they know that. Or, they should. Nothing is going to help me. Nothing except her.

It's been almost a year since she left and about five months with constant nightmares. It started off with denial, which I guess are the stages. I was sure she'd come back, which just made things worse in the end. She didn't come back and she isn't coming back.

"Mike, are you listening?" Mr. Clarke spoke loudly, and I looked up at him with a hint of guilt.

"No, sorry," I was honest, why wouldn't I be? He just nodded with a worried smile. Great, now everyone is worried about me.

He gave us time to work in silence while he worked on some stuff. He was writing for a long time before he put the letter in an envelope and asked Will to take it to the office. Will really likes doing runs so he can get out of class and walk around. He's been really into walking ever since he came back.

Not long after Will got back, I was called to the office. Oh no. Please tell me Mr. Clarke didn't report my behavior. I spaced out once, everyone does that!

This just isn't my day.


	3. Two

_Mike._

I entered the office slowly, not really knowing what to expect. I've only been here a few times, and it was usually only to see the nurse. The only time I went to the principals office was when Chief Hopper was asking us about Will. That seems like a lifetime ago.

The front desk lady told me to go into the principals office and I just knew it wouldn't end well.

I got inside and was met with the principal and the school counselor. I awkwardly shuffled towards the desk and took a seat in the springy, uncomfortable chair.

"Hello, Michael, I'm glad you could join us. You're probably very confused, so let me explain. Mr. Clarke sent me a letter and told me that he's worried about you. He says that you're very distant and you don't listen in class anymore. You don't always do the work and and when you do, it's poorly done. He's worried you might be experiencing depression of some kind, and we'd like to help you. This is Mrs. White and she's here for you, she's here to listen to you," He explained slowly, acting like I was a toddler that couldn't understand him. That just irritated me even more than I already was, making me speak before thinking.

"No way, I'm not talking to her," I burst out, and they gave me a surprised look.

"Why not, Michael? I'd really love to help you," She spoke in a sweet tone, and I feel bad for being so harsh, but I'm not telling her anything.

"Because you'll just turn around and tell my mom. If you want me to talk to someone, get me a real person. A professional, or something. I know they can't tell anyone anything unless I say so," I explained quickly, not making much sense but just going for it. I was already partially in trouble, what's the point in beating around the bush?

"Would you like that? To talk to someone?" Mrs. White asked me, and I stopped everything for a moment. I hadn't really thought of that before, I know it would help me a bit. And I could just go in, tell them everything, then leave and never go back. Or I could go back if they were helping me feel better.

I looked up at her with nervous eyes. "I think that would help, yes."

She promised to talk to my mom and talk to some of her friends. I didn't really care who I talked to, but I will admit that I hope it's a girl. I feel like a girl will listen more and try to understand better than a boy would. That's how it is with my friends. None of them get why I'm feeling this way, and they don't try to understand. But Nancy gets it, she talks to me and makes sure I'm ok. I still lie, of course, but at least she tries.

By the time they let me leave, everyone was outside for recess. I pulled my coat out of my backpack(I stuffed it in there earlier, I wasn't thinking. I ruined my notebook) and slipped it on. It was really cold out lately, considering it's the beginning of November.

I quickly found my friends in the corner of the field, where we always hang out. It's just quieter and people rarely bother us.

When I approached them, they all stopped talking and turned to me.

"What did they want with you?" Lucas burst out, and I just shrugged lazily.

"I'm gonna start talking to a professional counselor, I can't remember what they're called."

"A psychologist?" Will asked, and I nodded.

"You think you need that? I mean, you aren't depressed or anything, are you?" Dustin asked with big eyes, and I continued to glance around at all of their faces. They all looked so worried and shocked.

"I think I am, but that's ok. I'll survive." I shrugged again, and they reluctantly moved on from the subject. And for once in my life, I wish I could be completely alone with no friends. No family. I just want to be alone. "Guys, I don't feel good, I'm going to the nurse."

They started to ask questions but I walked away before they could finish. I don't have the energy today, I really don't.


	4. Three

_Mike._

"You're not feeling well? I'm sorry, Mike," Was all my mom said when I got into the car. She got out and helped the principal put my bike in the trunk. I just sat and stared forward, wishing I was home. I know where I'm going the second I get home. It may not be good for me, but I don't care at this point.

The drive was mostly silent and I tried to look sick rather than just emotionless. It worked a bit, but I don't think my mom was fully buying it, anyway. She knows I have nightmares and she knows it has something to do with Eleven. The only problem is that she thinks it's the number eleven, since I wouldn't dare tell her about El. El may be gone but that doesn't mean I'm gonna tell an adult about her. I promised I wouldn't all those months ago and I'm keeping that promise.

We arrived home and I told my mom that I wanted to sleep downstairs for a while. She decided not to question me, which I was thankful for.

I went down the stairs slowly, going through the memories in my mind. All those times I'd come downstairs and look over at her. She'd usually be on my radio. If not, just messing around with random stuff. She'd visibly calm down when I came into view, and it was the best feeling.

I started to get that dry feeling in my throat as I slowly bent down and climbed into her fort. I cuddled up in her place, finally letting myself cry. Then, I fell asleep.

-

_Lucas._

"You know he's not ok, right?" Dustin asked Will and I as we rode our bikes home.

"Of course, but what are we supposed to do? He'll just get mad if we bring it up," I reasoned, and he agreed silently.

"I'm still not exactly sure why he's so sad," Will spoke up, and I looked over at Dustin with hesitant eyes.

"We should explain it to him, Mike isn't here." He shrugged, and I nodded.

"Well, we found her in the forest, as you know. He immediately wanted to protect her, it was obvious. We brought her back and he let her stay in his basement," I explained, but he cut in.

"Still can't believe he let a girl sleep in his house." He shook his head.

"Anyway, yeah, we went through a lot. She messed up a few times and he'd yell at her. Oh gosh, when she first put on the dress," I joked, laughing a bit. Dustin laughed, too, then explained.

"She walked out of the room and I swear time stopped for him. He looked at her like she was his world." He shook his head, then dropped his smile. "I guess she was."

It was silent for a few seconds before Will spoke again.

"So, basically, he just really cared about her?" He asked, and I chuckled sadly.

"No, Will, he loved her. He won't talk about it but I'm pretty sure they kissed. He basically asked her to the Snowball, as well. He was more than ready to have her in his life for forever," I explained softly as we approached my house. We decided to go to mine since Mike isn't feeling well. We usually hang out at his house, considering he has an isolated basement.

"Oh, I didn't realize it was that serious. So, he has nightmares about her coming back?"

"Yeah, it hurts him more than he lets on. And it's just getting worse, I thought it would get better," Dustin sighed, hopping off his bike, and they followed me to the door. I unlocked it and led the way in.

"I think he's breaking," Was all I said back, and it was once again silent for a minute or two.

"We have to get her back," Will spoke up, and I shook my head.

"Will, she's dead," I reminded, and he just looked at his feet.

"You believe she's dead? I know maybe two, three things about her and I'm already doubting it. If she was dead, why would she be transported somewhere else? Wouldn't she just drop dead on the ground? I don't know, maybe I'm thinking too literally." He sighed, continuing to stare at the ground.

"You have a small point but I'm starting to believe nothing makes sense. I mean, there was a monster. I'm sure the world didn't stop and think to add logic onto El's death," I spoke maybe a bit too harshly, but that kind of optimism annoys me. She's obviously dead, why would we go looking for her?

"I kinda agree with Lucas on this one. She's dead, we just need to accept it. Mike will get over it, it just might take a few years. Or maybe his new therapist will help, I don't know." Dustin sighed loudly, and no one had a reply.

We went through _another _awkward silence before something actually interesting happened.

"Did Mike just ride his bike past the house?" Dustin spoke up, jumping up and running to the window. He peered out, and Will and I jumped up to join him. Sure enough, he was going down the road and pedaling faster than he normally would.

"Let's go see what's up."


	5. Four

_Mike._

I woke up drenched in sweat and had a stiff face. I knew the stiffness was from my tears, but I'm not sure why I'm sweating so much. Maybe I had a nightmare and was just too exhausted to remember any of it.

I slowly climbed out of El's tent and went upstairs. I heard my dad asleep in the living room and my mom talking in the kitchen. Then I heard Nancy, so I'm assuming they're talking. That in mind, I snuck back downstairs and out the back door. I got my bike and rode away from my house as quickly as possible.

I passed by Lucas's house and tried to ride even faster, hoping he wouldn't see me. Then I noticed three bikes in the driveway and felt even worse.

I know I'm the one that left school, but I still feel a little jealous. I know they'll be discussing me. They probably think I'm being a baby or something.

I just kept riding, refusing to check if they're following me. If they are, I don't care. They won't see anything interesting.

I finally saw some old, rusty cars come into view and sighed in relief. I looked over at the broken bus and was flooded with memories. So many memories, good and bad.

I laid down in the dirt in front of it, not really caring about getting dirty. I'm already all sweaty and I'll need a shower, anyway. And clothes can be washed.

It wasn't long before I heard bikes in the distance and then footsteps that were supposed to be light. I ignored them, though, because I just needed to be here. To lay here and pretend that I'm back in those days when she was here. I come here maybe once a week by myself, if I can.

I could hear my friends whispering and it just got annoying. Do they think I'm deaf or something?

"I know you're there, you're not very quiet," I spoke up, and I could hear them wading out of the bushes. I sat up and turned to face them. They looked rather guilty.

"We're sorry, we just didn't know where you were going. I thought you were sick," Lucas admitted, and I just squinted a bit at them before looking at my lap.

"I just wanted to be alone. Then I saw all of you hanging out at Lucas's house and I got jealous. And embarrassed, I assume you were talking about me," I mumbled, and I looked up when they walked closer to me. They sat down in front of my legs, and I suddenly felt very silly for being jealous.

"Mike, we _were_ talking about you, but not in a bad way. We just..." Dustin started, but he trailed off and glanced at Will nervously. I gave them the 'go on' eyes and Will decided to answer.

"They were telling me about El. About your relationship with her."

My chest clenched so terribly, it physically hurt. I haven't heard her name in months, not out loud. Then I heard him say relationship and I had to look down again to hide my new tears. I've turned into a real baby ever since she left. I cry every day, a lot of times it's more than once. I just can't help it, she left and took everything with her. She took my emotions, my well-being. All she left was a body filled with tears that constantly restocked.

"Mike, are you crying?" Dustin spoke again, and I shook my head, which just made me cry harder. I gave up and let myself cry freely. I was trying to keep quiet but it wasn't working too well. I was sobbing in front of my friends and they aren't even doing anything to help.

"Mike, she's...she's just a girl..." Will spoke quietly, and I looked up in time to see Lucas and Dustin slap both of his arms on either side.

"She's just a girl? Really? You know what, I don't even care anymore. I'm going home, I'm not dealing with you guys right now." I stood up and started to walk away.

"Dealing with us? Mike, what the hell did we do? We've been nothing but supportive, you can't blame Will! He didn't know, he wasn't there to see how much you loved her!" Lucas yelled at me, and I just shook my head and cried more.

"No, none of you care that she's gone. I'm the only one that's affected by this," I spoke through gritted teeth. I started pacing back and forth, pulling my hair slightly.

"Not fair, Mike, we miss her, too," Dustin said in a firm tone and I stopped dead in my tracks. I spun to face them and gave them a death glare.

"You miss her, huh? Ok, fine, but did you basically live for her? Did you let her sleep in your basement for a week? Did you cry when she was gone for only one night? No?

"Ok, how about this, did you sit her down and promise her a family? Promise her the Snowball? Did you show her the side of you that no one else saw? Did you _kiss _her for Christ's sake?! No, you didn't, that was me! It was me, I'm the one that went through it all and I'm the one that broke!" I was yelling so loud, I'm sure the nearby houses could hear me. The three of them just stared at me in utter shock, which made me mad again.

I turned around and left, truly not wanting to deal with them at the moment. They know everything now.

They know why I've barely left my house in a year, and I'm sure they still won't understand.


	6. Five

_Mike._

_I was searching the woods again, hoping to find her this time. She's never here, I don't know why she would be._

_Then, in the same place we found her last time, I heard rustling. Lots of it. I looked around frantically, and there she was. Standing about five feet away from me._

_I immediately started crying and walking towards her. But she stopped me, she wouldn't let me come within three feet of her. I looked at her with confused eyes, tears still streaming down my face._

_"El? What's wrong, what's going on?" I asked her, and she glared harder._

_"No_ _,_ _" was all she said at first, and I continued to look at her with hurt eyes. "You...you left me."_

_"No, El, I would never leave you! I've been looking for you every day!" I yelled out, my sobs getting worse._

_"You hurt me_ _,_ _" She said in an angry voice, her teeth clenched. She suddenly thrust me back, and I was thrown across the open space. I hit a tree and immediately started yelling in pain. "No more."_

_She repeated those familiar words and I knew what she meant._

_-_

I shot awake and this is the first time I woke up crying. I sat on my bed and just cried. I didn't even bother being quiet, I just let everything out. Before long, both my mom and my dad ran into the room.

"Michael, honey, it's ok. It's alright, you're safe." My mom soothed me, holding me tightly while I cried some more. My dad was rubbing my arm and it was surprisingly comforting.

I can't believe I had a dream like that. I've never had a dream like that. She _killed_ me? El? I don't even know how to handle that, I can't think of any way this could be fixed.

I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night.


	7. Six

_Will._

I met up with Dustin and we rode over to Lucas's house. We went to Mike's, and he actually came out. I was surprised, considering what happened yesterday.

"Hey," he whispered and we all greeted him quietly. He rode slower than usual, worrying me slightly. I stopped and turned to him, making Dustin and Lucas stop, as well.

"Mike, what's wrong?" I asked quietly, and he took in a big breath.

"Can we skip? Go into the woods or something? I'll explain stuff, I promise." I immediately agreed, as did Dustin, but Lucas was hesitant.

"Won't we get in trouble?" He asked loudly. He's always the one to remind us of possible consequences, that's just how Lucas is. But today, I didn't really care about consequences.

"Probably, but Mike doesn't want to go, so we won't," I said firmly, smiling over at Mike. He gave me a small smile back, and it meant a lot. That was his way of apologizing for getting mad at me yesterday.

Lucas finally agreed, so we went off in the direction of the woods. The ride wasn't too long, which is good. Less chance of people seeing us.

We got off our bikes and walked them into the trees so no one would see them, and quickly found a secluded area. We sat down in a small square and it was quiet for a minute. Then, Mike spoke up.

"I had a really, really bad dream last night," Was all he said and we prepared to hear about how she came back, they did something cool, then he woke up.

"Ok, what happened?" Lucas encouraged, and Mike looked down at his lap. He started picking at his nails, which he's never done before.

"Well, I was searching for her in the woods. I found her in the same place we did the first time. I got happy, but she was mad. She said I left her but I didn't. And she said I hurt her, which just hurt me. Then she threw me like ten feet back and I slammed into a tree. Then she..." He trailed off, the tears already falling down his face. "She said 'No more' and killed me."

Dustin, Lucas, and I just sat with shocked expressions. He had a dream about her killing him? What happened to his dreams about them reuniting and being happy? Those made him sad, but not this sad. He's just sitting there, crying really hard and resting his head in his hands.

"Oh god, Mike, really? She...you know she would never react like that, right?" Dustin stumbled over his words.

"You don't know that. If she is somehow alive, she's probably blaming me for her pain. That's why I wanted to skip, guys, we have to look for her. Or at least look for some clues, please," He begged, starting to wipe the tears off his face.

"Yeah, of course. Let's start now." I jumped up, helping Mike to his feet. We've never fully helped look for Eleven, he always went by himself. I'm assuming he didn't want us to see him break down when he didn't find her.

We all started walking deeper into the trees, searching every inch. We even went as far as to check under piles of leaves. If there's a clue here, I want to find it. For Mike.

I feel absolutely terrible about yesterday. I spoke without thinking. I didn't even consider his feelings when I said what I did, which is terrible. If I was a good friend, I would've said something uplifting.

But he seems to have forgiven me, which is good. He's smiling at me and he isn't ignoring me, which is good enough for me.

Not too long into searching, Dustin started calling Mike over. I think that's the fastest I've ever seen him run, if I'm being honest.

We all approached Dustin and he was looking at a small hole in a tree. It had a red pulsing part to block stuff out. Or keep stuff in, I guess.

"Hey, that red stuff is the same thing I talked to my mom through. It's solid, it can't be pushed through. But I've seen it open," I spoke up, and Mike suddenly turned to me.

"When does it open? Maybe we can like...I don't know, go in and check? There's no monster, I don't see how it could be dangerous," He rushed out, and Lucas stopped him.

"Mike, I know you want to check for her, but I don't think you can. That hole isn't big enough to fit anyone through, it's tiny," He spoke logically, and I could tell Mike wanted to argue. But he can't, Lucas is right. The hole is probably about the size of a softball, way too small.

"Plus, if she could fit through there, she probably would've left already," I added on, but I probably shouldn't have. He's sensitive enough as is, and I think I made him tip over the edge. Again.

"I still don't get why you care, you don't even know her," He mumbled out, and I tried not to get hurt or angry.

"I don't, no, but she saved me," I spoke softly, suddenly feeling very tender and warm. "She's the reason I'm alive, that's why I care."

"She should still be here," He spoke bitterly, and I spoke back in my defense.

"Mike, this is just how it is. I would be dead if it weren't for her," I reminded him, and he started breathing heavily out of his nose. He's very angry, I can tell.

"She'd still be here if it weren't for you!" He suddenly burst out, taking everyone by surprise. I had nothing to say back, I just stared at him with troubled eyes. He said nothing else, he just walked back to the tree and sat down in front of it.

"I obviously have no business being here anymore, so I'm just going home," I told Dustin and Lucas, not waiting for an answer before walking back to my bike and taking off.

I know Mike is going through a really hard time, I get that. I'm trying to help and understand what he's going through.

But nothing can excuse what he just said to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LMFAOOO THIS SHIT IS SO BAD  
Mike don't make any sense and Will, apparently a 13 y/o, just said "I obviously have no business being here"  
Wtf was I thinking when I wrote this omg🤦🏻  
[reminder that I first wrote and published this in September, 2016]


	8. Seven

_Mike._

I regret it, I do. I know it isn't Will's fault, but it's just so easy to blame him. I mean, even if he had died, she'd still be gone. She died saving Lucas, Dustin, and I. Will truly had nothing to do with it.

I still say 'died' but I honestly don't think she's dead. I just keep getting this feeling that she's close. Like she's right next to me, I just can't see her. That's why I was so happy to see that hole in the tree. I have the strongest feeling that she's down there. If I could somehow find a way to get her attention, I could talk to her through it. Or maybe I can find a way to make it bigger.

I wish I could just go to Hawkins Lab to find her. But ever since Dr. Brenner died, they've been slowly closing the gate. It must be closed by now, it's been a year. The second everything had calmed down, all they did was search for a way to close it. It worked and they closed it before anything could go in. Or come out, for that matter.

So, it looks like the hole in the tree is my best bet. It'll have to do.

I had a pretty chill dream last night, which is good. I think I'm too busy thinking about Will to remember it. So, I woke up easily and actually wasn't fully focused on El. I got ready quickly and decided to skip breakfast. I want to go to Will's house and apologize before school starts.

I told my mom what I was doing before quickly riding in the direction of his house. I'm not positive what I'm gonna say, which is probably a good thing. It'll be more genuine if I come up with it as I go.

I reached his house pretty quickly and hopped off my bike. I saw Jonathan's car was still in the yard and slowed down a bit. I came a lot earlier than I thought.

I shrugged and knocked on the door. Will answered, his slight smile dropping.

"Can I come in?" I asked sheepishly, and he let me in without saying anything. Jonathan was in the kitchen practically shoveling food into his mouth. He must be running late. Will closed the door and turned to face me. I sighed loudly, feeling awkward with Jonathan in hearing range. "Listen, Will, I'm...I'm sorry. I was just angry and I feel horrible. I have no excuse, I'm not trying to sound innocent. I know what I did and I seriously regret it." I paused, getting ready to fully speak my mind. "And I know I'm being ridiculous, I just can't help it. I should care about you guys way more than her, but I just can't stop thinking about her. I know she's alive, I can feel it, and I think that's why I can't stop thinking about her. I've just been such a bad friend and I understand if you hate me or something."

I think that's the longest speech I've ever given. Half of me expected him to be annoyed. Then again, Will has always been a good listener. At this moment, though, he's just looking at me with a troubled expression.

"Mike, I don't hate you, I was just a bit hurt. Half of me was thinking you want me dead or something," He mumbled, and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"No way, you're my best friend. Well, one of them. I was just blinded by the possibility of finding her that I was mean and inconsiderate. I'm sorry, Will."

"It's fine, Mike, I forgive you. Thanks for apologizing so quickly, I probably would've held a grudge." He smiled at me, and I was about to reply but was cut off by loud knocks at the door. Will and I looked at each other and he was obviously just as confused as I am.

He opened the door and we were met with Dustin and Lucas. But they were sweating slightly and panting heavily. Did they just run here or something?

"Oh, good, you're here," Lucas spoke with a tone of relief, still gasping for air as they passed us and entered the house. Will and I continued to look at them in utter confusion.

Then Jonathan showed up and pushed past us, running to his car while yelling goodbye to Will. Everything is a mess right now.

Will pushed the door closed and we turned to face Lucas and Dustin. They were sitting on the couch, gaining their breath back.

"What's going on?" I was the first to speak, and Dustin replied before Lucas could gather his thoughts.

"So, we were in the woods-" He started, but I cut him off.

"Why were you in the woods?"

"Well...we want everything back to normal. We figured the only way to fix things is to bring El back, so we were continuing to look for clues," Lucas explained quietly, and I wasn't even mad that they went without me.

"Yeah, that's actually a good idea. Anyway, so you found something?" I asked, suddenly getting really excited.

"Yeah, it was insane! We found this small wooden box and there was food in it. Someone obviously just put it in there because Lucas dared me to touch it and it was still warm. That means someone is leaving food in the woods and who else would be there to eat it?" Dustin concluded, and I was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Well, come on! Show us!" I yelled excitedly, and Will nodded along frantically.

-

We jumped off of our bikes and followed Dustin and Lucas into the trees. They knew the path well, somehow, because they led us right to it with no hesitation.

"There, open it," Lucas encouraged, and I knelt down so I could reach the box properly. I lifted the top and saw...nothing. I just stared at it with confused eyes, trying not to get emotional.

"Did she come here? Did we miss it?" I asked loudly, looking up at them as if they had the answer.

"I don't know, Mike, it was there not even twenty minutes ago." Dustin shrugged and I could tell he was just as confused as I am.

I kept looking around, checking for any clue. Maybe a footprint? Absolutely anything.

But, I found nothing.  
Only an empty box and a sinking feeling remained.


	9. Eight

_Mike._

"Mike, it's simple. We just have to find out who's leaving food in the box." Dustin made it sound like a breeze.

"How? Dustin, we can't just stand here and wait," I reminded, but he wasn't having it.

"Sure we can," He shot back, and I just looked at him with squinted eyes. "Look, we can just come back here tomorrow morning _really_ early and wait."

"Dustin, whoever comes will see us," Will chimed in, and Dustin gave us the 'stop being so dense' look.

"You guys are just unbelievable. We'll hide!" He exclaimed and my mouth immediately formed an 'o' shape. I am so dumb.

"Ok, I'm in. Anything for her," I agreed, beginning to walk to my bike. They walked after me, but didn't follow me once I was on my bike.

"Mike, school is this way," Lucas spoke with furrowed eyebrows, pointing in the opposite direction.

"You guys go on without me, I need to do something first." I smiled innocently at them before speeding away. I didn't want them asking questions. I eventually glanced behind me and they were gone.

-

I rode up to my house slowly just in case my mom was home. But she wasn't, so I raced up the driveway and quickly put my bike in the garage. I need to make a plan. If El is in the Upside Down, I'm not leaving her there any longer than absolutely necessary. I _will_ get her out.

I searched around and soon found a large piece of paper. I ran downstairs and pulled out my giant box of markers.  
_(A/N: I like to imagine he has this in his basement cuz that would be adorable)_

I sat down at the table and immediately started writing.

**Plan To Save Eleven**

**1\. Find out more about the box**   
**2\. Interrogate the box man**   
**3\. Find a way to communicate with El**   
**4\. Talk with her and figure out how to get her out**   
**And try not to cry too much**

Yeah I'm content with that.

I sat back and looked at the page, and it was boring. Sure, I should go to school, but I could just skip again, right?

I leaned forward and rummaged through my marker box until I found all the colors I want. I started drawing stuff around the words. Like: the box, Eggos, El(kinda, I'm not the best at drawing), a banner that says "Snowball", and a few hearts. It took me a long time but I eventually finished.

I went back up to my room and hung the paper up on the wall. The plan is now in action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ew the skipping school shit makes me cringe so bad cuz of how unrealistic it is. I hate my past self lol


	10. Nine

_Hopper._   
_•Takes place at the end of Season One, right before he puts the food in the box•_

I know they're lying to me. There's no way the girl is dead, she can't be. They'd blame me, probably have me killed.

I've been thinking about this for a solid month now. If she's alive, she's either trapped at Hawkins Lab, or she's in that place. The Upside Down, or whatever it's called.

My best bet is the Upside Down. Although, there's no telling if she's still alive. It's been almost a month, she might be dead by now. Although, as far as we know, that monster is gone. She's most likely just battling hunger and hygiene.

I've been wracking my brain for hours. Is there any way to get her food? If she's down there, she needs to be fed until I can get her out.

I'm about to leave my house to go to work, but I just can't stop thinking about the girl. I still have no idea what to call her, might I add. Jane? Eleven? Not that it really matters, I don't think she'd answer to Jane.

I'm sitting on my couch just thinking nonstop. There has to be a way to at least talk to her.

I eventually made up my mind and went out to buy a small, wooden box.

The cashier gave me the weirdest look when I got to the counter with a box and a bunch of food. She rang me up quickly, though, which is good. I don't have much time, I'm already insanely late for work.

I drove out and found a secluded part of the woods. If I'm gonna do this, I can't have it be obvious. Barely anyone comes back this far in the woods, so I think I'll be ok.

I set the box down and pressed it hard into the ground. I didn't even think to bring some kind of nails or something. Nonetheless, it seemed sturdy enough.

I opened the lid and slowly placed some food in it. Mostly small things like a pack of crackers and some fruit snacks. I could just barely fit a small water bottle in, as well.

I closed the box lightly and stepped back, inhaling the crisp air deeply. Here goes nothing.

"Eleven," I started, talking loudly, but making sure not to yell, just in case. "Eleven, if you can hear me, I need you to come to the woods. Look for a small wooden box. If it's there, open it. There's food and water in it. It's for you," I continued, taking a pause. "Again, if you can hear me, find a small box in the woods. I'll come back every day to give you food and water."

I waited around for another twenty minutes before slowly approaching the box again. I was nervous, for some reason. What if it worked? What if the box somehow transferred over into the Upside Down and she found it?

I knelt down and touched the lid, taking in another deep breath.

I tipped it open, and it was empty.

-

_-five days later-_

I sighed deeply as I pulled up to the same spot as always. I have a new idea today, I'm taking it a step further.

If I can transfer food, I can transfer other things, right? I'm going to send her a note with a pen attached to it. I can only hope she knows how to write. And read, for that matter.

I put my car in park and pulled the note out of my pocket. I read over it once more before digging a pen out of my glove box.

I slammed my car door when I left my car. I'm not in the best mood today, Flo has been on my ass constantly about being late. It's not like I can tell her why I'm late, which makes her even more mad.

I reached the box quickly, kneeling down and placing the food in. Then, I spoke out loud to her.

"I'm back, Eleven. Here's your food, but don't go away just yet. I'm gonna give you something else," I spoke loudly, waiting about five minutes before opening the box back up. It was empty, as usual. I laid the folded paper down and placed the pen on top of it. "I left you a note. I want you to write back to me as best as you can. It's ok if you don't know how to spell something, just try your best."  
_(A/N: Hop is best dad)_

I'm getting used to talking out loud by now. It's not as weird as it was at first. I don't feel alone anymore, considering I know she's there. I just can't see her or hear her.

I waited longer his time, I gave her about fifteen minutes. When I opened the box again, the paper was still folded but not as neatly and the pen was in a different place.

I picked it up and read it.

**Hello, Eleven. There's only two things I'm going to ask you.**   
**1\. Is there any way to get you out?**   
**2\. What food would you like me to bring you?**

Then, in messy handwriting, below my paragraph, say the words:

**No**   
**Eggos**


	11. Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder to everyone that italics mean it's a dream(:

_Mike._

_I'm getting ready to leave for the dance. I didn't think I'd be going, but Lucas talked me into it. I'm standing in the basement, staring at El's fort. She should be here right now, I shouldn't be going alone. I'm so hostile lately, I almost want to blame her for my pain. I know she was just protecting us, and I love her for it, but I wish I could've gone with her._

_I snapped out of my daze when my mom starting calling my name. I trudged up the stairs slowly, eyeing my shiny dress shoes. Everything feels wrong._

_My mom dropped me off at the dance and all of my friends were already there. I didn't want to dance or anything, I just wanted to sit. I promised El I'd bring her, but I can't. The least I can do is make sure I don't enjoy it._

_All of my friends were up and dancing, having a good time. I was tempted to get up and join, honestly. Dustin caught my eye and started waving me over. I was about to get up and join when the song changed and a slow one came on. My eyes stung knowing El and I won't get to dance together._

_My friends approached our table and I caught the end of Dustin and Lucas' conversation._

_"Dustin, stop messing around, I won't dance with you_ _._ _" Lucas exclaimed and hearing that made me smile slightly. It's an ongoing joke that Dustin brought Lucas to the dance, considering neither of them have dates. Will came with Jennifer Haze, which surprised me. Yeah, she cried at his funeral, but that's just it. We were at his _ ** _funeral_ ** _, she should be freaked out by him._

_"I'll win him over someday." Dustin snorted, nudging me as he walked past. Lucas just rolled his eyes, sitting in the chair next to me. The slow song continued and I looked around for Will. Then, I saw him, red cheeks and all. He's actually slow dancing with Jennifer. I never thought I'd see the day._

_I was scanning the room and my eyes landed on the new girl. She was sitting alone and looking insanely sad. She's only been here for a few days, and I assume she's feeling awful right now. She has no friends yet and thinking about that is bringing me down._

_I sighed deeply and walked over to her table. Dustin and Lucas asked what I was doing, but I didn't answer. When I approached her, she gave me this startled look. Almost as if she's surprised I showed up._

_"Uh, hey. You wanna dance? You look sad_ _,_ _" I mumbled a bit by accident. A very large part of me was screaming at me, saying not to do this. Why can't I? I'm not doing it because I like her, I'm just being nice._

_She nodded with a shy smile. Her face was a bit red, but I ignored it. I walked her out and approached where Will was. He gave me a weird look and I just shrugged lazily at him. I turned to face her, awkwardly placing my hands on her waist. She wasn't as awkward about it, she just went for it. There was still a big gap between us, which was a big relief._

_It was really awkward until I decided to actually look at her. She smiled, and I smiled back. She's pretty, yeah, I just could never betray El like that._

_"Your dress is...pretty." I smiled, and she opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off._

_Everyone in the room jumped when the door flew open. I spun in the direction of it and saw...El._

_"El?" I spoke loudly, making everyone turn to me. I walked a bit closer, examining her like crazy. she was obviously still in the same clothes as before she left, but she was insanely dirty. She looked absolutely exhausted as she stepped inside. She looked around at everyone before turning to look at me._

_"Who is...she?" She spoke up, pointing behind me. I turned around and took in the stunned expression of the girl. I turned back to El with worried eyes._

_"El, let's go home. You need food and rest_ _,_ _" Was all I said and she was about to agree when she started swaying a bit. She then fell right over, landed really hard. I could tell something was wrong because she didn't try to catch herself, she just fell._

_I ran as fast as I could to get to her side and I could hear other people rush over, too. I didn't bother to check who, it was probably just Dustin and Lucas. I shook El constantly, yelling her name loudly. Dustin and Lucas joined in, all three of us trying to wake her up, but she wouldn't._

_I was sobbing uncontrollably and just continued to shake her but nothing was working. Soon, I sat back a bit and tried to think of what could be wrong._

_"She's just really drained, she needs help. We need to help her!" I was yelling now, and one of the adults_ ** _ finally _ ** _came over to see what was wrong. "Please, help her, please_ _,_ _" I sobbed out._

_The man immediately checked for a pulse. He checked her wrist, then the one on her neck. He kept checking over and over again, his eyes looked so panicked. Soon, he looked over at me and just shook his head._

_"She's gone."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all I just wanna put a disclaimer here early on.  
The new girl is obviously Max, but it is NOT the Max we know from the show. I wrote this book before anything was revealed about her character(late 2016), so I wrote her into my own character. She's still played by Sadie, but literally everything else about her is different from her personality, to her clothes, to her last name(because she didn't even have a last name yet when I wrote this). So please do not comment about all my "mistakes" or some shit. She's different because she's my own character.
> 
> Just wanted to clear that up since I've gotten complaints and stuff in the past.


	12. Eleven

_Mike._

"What do you mean she died? Mike, these dreams are getting serious." Lucas seemed to lecture, and I just nodded. I've said maybe two sentences today, I'm not in the mood to talk. Or do anything, for that matter.

"Mike, don't you think it's time..." Dustin trailed off, and I just furrowed my eyebrows at him. I don't understand what he's talking about.

"Time for what?"

"Guys, we need to go. Whoever brings the food for El will be there soon," Will spoke up, but everyone ignored him.

"I'm just being realistic here, so don't get mad, I just..." Dustin trailed off again, then took a deep breath and spoke. "These nightmares are getting serious, Mike, you need to let her go."

It was silent for a full minute. I just looked at him with big, shocked eyes and I'm sure Lucas and Will did, too.

"What? Let her go? Dustin, we're starting to find her! She's out there!" I yelled at him, probably waking up my sister. Do I care? No.

"Mike, come on! She died! I've been playing this 'she's alive' game for a year now. I was happy to do it if it kept you happy but now it's just bringing you down. You need to accept the fact that _she is dead._" I actually started crying when he said that, but they were angry tears. They were just falling and I was standing up and leaving the house before I knew it.

I rode quickly down the road, it's probably the fastest I've ever gone. The adrenaline pumping through my veins is just so intense. How could he say something like that? He may not believe that she's alive, but I do. And I'm gonna find her.

I rode until I found the familiar opening in the trees. I hopped off my bike and practically threw it to the ground, not caring about the kick stand.

I stomped a bit as I walked, aware that I'm being a baby. But did he really have to say that? Couldn't he have just pretended for a few more days?

I huffed loudly as I found the box and plopped down in front of it. I'm still so angry, I can't believe he said that so bluntly to me. _She is not dead. _I refuse to think that for even a second more than I already have.

She's alive. She's alive and this box is the key to finding her.

Just then, I heard heavy footsteps approaching. I didn't move, though, I was basically frozen in fear.

"You found it, huh?"


	13. Twelve

_Mike._

I looked up when I heard that voice. I'm not sure why, but I was scared when I saw that it was Chief Hopper. He helped save Will, he's basically why Will is alive, but he still scares me a bit. He just seems so unstable.

"That box has been here for almost a year, and you finally found it. I was wondering when you would," He spoke again, kneeling down to touch the box. I looked at him with uneasy eyes as he emptied the paper bag he was holding. Food in a tub, a juice box, and two Eggos.

"_You're_ leaving her food?" I asked loudly, my mouth dropping open. He chuckled at my reaction.

"I am. She really likes grape juice boxes." He smiled subtly at me and I was still so surprised. For one, I'm now positive she's alive. That's insane. He put the food and the juice in the box and relaxed a little. "I was seriously wondering when you'd find it. I come here every day and bring her food."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why haven't we gotten her out yet?" I practically yelled, the anger from Dustin still in my body.

"Chill, kid, she'd be out by now if it was possible. I've been talking to her for a year, we've tried basically everything," He informed, and I slumped a bit.

"There has to be a way, we can't leave her down there," I mumbled, and he didn't answer. He just sighed loudly and we sat in silence.

"Why don't you get to school? We'll talk more tomorrow if you come again," He offered, and I just nodded. I was bummed out again. There's no way to get her out? I find that hard to believe, there has to be a way.

I stood up and made my way to my bike. I rode off to school slowly, I feel like I'm going to throw up.

-

"Mike! Mike, I'm sorry, man, I wasn't thinking. I just can't stand to see you like this," Dustin spoke immediately as I entered our classroom. I just looked ahead and walked to my seat. I could see the three of them looking at each other out of the corner of my eye. "Mike? C'mon, I'm sorry."

"She's alive, by the way," I spoke bluntly, and they immediately ran to huddle around my desk.

"No way, how do you know?" Lucas asked with pure shock in his tone. Why are they so surprised? Did they really think she was dead?

"I met who was putting food in the box, it was the Chief. He's leaving it for El, she's alive." My voice is so dull, I almost feel bad.

"Then what are we doing just sitting here?" Will asked, but I didn't answer. I just looked down at my desk and played with my fingers.

"Wait, if you're here and not out looking...we can't help her, can we? She's stuck down there," Lucas concluded, my vision started to blur a bit as tears came. I cry too much.

Suddenly, my stomach did a ginormous flip. I stood up and practically ran to the bathroom, I could hear them following me.

I entered the bathroom and threw up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG THE ICONIC GRAPE JUICE IM GONNA CRY—  
To new readers: Grape juice becomes iconic in this series !


	14. Thirteen

_Mike._

It's the next morning and I've convinced my mom that I can't go to school. It helps that I threw up yesterday, it gives me an excuse. I don't have to skip.

The second she was gone, I jumped up and pulled my supercom out. I put the antenna up and immediately started talking.

"Lucas, do you copy?" I spoke loudly, waiting for a response.

"Yeah, I copy. I'm on my way to your house right now, don't worry. Over and out."

I smiled widely to myself as I got dressed. This is the day. This is the day I talk to El.

It wasn't long before there was a loud knock at my door. I picked up my backpack and sprinted down the stairs. I swung the door open and greeted Lucas briefly before we rushed away and went to Dustin's house. He was already waiting for us outside of his house, sitting on his bike. We just nodded at each other as we rode to Will's house.

We planned everything so well, and it worked out. We'll get there in time to see Chief Hopper, I know it.

Will was also ready to go when we arrived, making my smile grow. Everything is going to plan.

"Ok, so, I don't know how he talks to her. I didn't ask, he told me to leave before I could. I just know that I need to talk to her, I need to know what's going on," I informed loudly as we rode quickly towards the woods. When we approached, we saw his car. He's here.

We jumped off our bikes and sprinted into the woods. We got there just in time to see him closing the box and standing back up.

"Have you talked to her?" I asked loudly, running up and kneeling down next to the box. I need to talk to her, I have to. It's been a year.

"No, I let her eat first," He spoke simply, looking at me like I was insane for hovering over the box. He just doesn't understand.

Not even a minute later, I could hear tapping coming from the box. Just some light tapping, but it was frantic.

"What's going on?" I asked the Chief, and he bent down to open the box again.

"She does that when she wants the paper and doesn't want to wait," He explained as he placed a folded piece of paper in the box. My eyebrows furrowed.

"Paper? What does paper have to do with anything?" I rushed out, and he sighed.

"Kid, that's the best way to talk to her. She can hear us, but we can't hear her." He sounded annoyed, so I decided to drop it. He probably knows best.

"Doesn't she need a pen or something?" I mumbled, and he nodded.

"I gave her her own. It has pink ink, she really likes that." He was smiling when he said that, and it made me smile, as well. He sounds like her dad, it's cute.

Soon enough, there was tapping again. He opened the box and pulled the paper out.

"How does the tapping work?" Lucas spoke up, making me jump. I honestly forgot they were here.

"I don't know, some things just transfer over. Like how Will talked to his mom through the wall. If there's something that's in both places, you can kinda make them transfer over," He explained vaguely, looking over at Will as he spoke. I almost forgot about that.

"Wait, so she can make noise if she wants to?" I asked with big eyes, and he nodded. "Is that why I'd hear knocking on my wall at night sometimes?" I whispered that, looking down at the ground. El was trying to talk to me and I didn't know. I just left her there.

"Hey, what's the paper say?" Dustin changed the subject, which helped a little. Chief Hopper unfolded the paper and looked at it before sighing. He pulled his pen out of his pocket and handed both of them to me. I took them quickly and looked down at the paper.

**Mike**

That's all it said, but it was enough to make me start crying. She's there, she knows I'm here.

I was suddenly very thankful that I can write on a paper. If I had to talk out loud, I'd embarrass myself a lot.

I used the box as a table.

**El, yes, it's me. Are you ok? What do you need? I can help you.**

_(A/N: I'm not gonna write all the waiting time, I'm just gonna write out their conversation)_

**Mike** **you can't help**

**I have to! I'll find a way! What can I do?**

**Mike. You can't.**

**El, please, let me help**

**No**

My tears were rapid now. Everyone around me started looking at me with utter pity, but they haven't even read the page.  
I decided to write one more thing.

**I miss you**

**I miss you too Mike**

I kept crying and practically threw the paper and pen towards the Chief. I stood up, not making eye contact with anyone. They'd just look at me like I need to be cradled.

-

_Lucas._

"What does it say? C'mon, read it," Dustin encouraged, and the three of us waited impatiently while the Chief read over the page. He sighed and looked up, starting to rub his beard. He handed me the paper and I held it up so all three of us could see it.

When we were all done, no one spoke for a while. I don't think anyone knew what to say.

"Listen, you need to keep an eye on him. He wasn't prepared for that, he was expecting something completely different. Just make sure he goes to school tomorrow. And make sure he gets over her," The Chief ordered, and we agreed, although I'm ninety-nine percent sure we can't help Mike.


	15. Fourteen

_Eleven._

He misses me. I miss him, too.

I wish there was a way to get out, I want to go back to his house. It's the only home I know.

I can get out, really, I just don't think I'll have enough energy.

There's a hole in a tree that is the only gate left. I could open it if I tried, but that doesn't mean I could make it out. I would be too drained.

I want to leave. I'm all alone down here. There's no threat, I killed the demogorgon. I just can't find a way out.

I walked back to Mike's house after he left. I actually don't count it as his house, it's the Upside Down kind. But it's where I sleep.

I still sleep in the fort he made me. It's the only thing that moved over into this world. I'd love to sleep in a real bed.

When I got to the door that led into his basement, I stopped. I do this a lot. I look inside and pretend I'm at his real house.

I laid my hand on the door and got even more sad. I can't really lose the energy, but I started crying anyway.

Then I got mad.

I hit the door really hard with my hand, and started crying harder.

"El, I'm here." I heard Mike's voice echo through the open world I was in. It hurt, I'm hurting.

I need to leave. I'm leaving.

I walked inside and noticed Mike put lights up on my fort. I walked over and made them blink quickly before turning around and leaving again.

I'm getting out.


	16. Fifteen

_Mike._

I woke up still feeling confused. Why did the lights freak out like that? It felt...wrong.

I got dressed slowly, truly not feeling up to school. But I haven't gone in a few days, I can't avoid it forever.

I met my friends at the end of my driveway and we rode to school. We didn't speak much all day, not until recess.

"So, what's up?" Dustin asked nonchalantly as we walked around aimlessly. My brain was going wild, I had to ask them.

"I was in my basement and I decided I'd put lights up on El's fort. You know, for an early Christmas decoration. Then there was a really big bang on my door and no one was there. Something about the bang just held...pain. So I told El that I was there, I wanted to make her feel better. Then my lights started flickering a bunch but for only a few seconds," I explained basically all in one breath, looking up at them with a confused expression.

"She was trying to get your attention. She was probably trying to tell you something," Will immediately spoke up, and I once again had an 'I'm so dumb' moment. I completely forgot about the light thing, it just slipped my mind. We don't talk about last year a lot so it just didn't occur to me.

"Wait, you think she was trying to tell me something? But she left right after," I spoke as if he knew the answer.

"Maybe she was signaling something. Like, she was trying to tell you that she was doing something and then she left," Dustin spoke excitedly, obviously proud of thinking it up.

"So, that means she's..." I drifted off, not finishing my sentence.

"She's what?" Lucas encouraged, and I looked at them with big eyes.

"I have to go, what if something's wrong?" I yelled, already turning around to walk away.

"Wait, Mike, school isn't over! Just wait a few more hours!" Lucas yelled after me, and I almost just kept walking. For some reason, I want to listen to him. Maybe I shouldn't leave, what would that help? It will just get me in trouble with the school.

I slowly turned back towards them and nodded subtly. Staying a bit longer won't hurt anything.

-

School is out and I'm riding home as fast as humanly possible. I told the others not to follow me, and they actually listened. I just want to be alone and make sure El is ok.

I rode my bike into the garage and literally jumped off, skipping the kickstand. I ran inside and downstairs, turning all the lights on.

I stood still for a minute before remembering I'm home alone, so I let loose.

"El! El, if you're around, please talk to me! Make the lights blink! Anything! I need to know you're ok!" I yelled like crazy, I didn't know what else to do.

I kept yelling, but nothing came. My eyes started to get all hazy after a full five minutes of trying to get her attention. She's not here, she's not near me. Where is she?

-

_Eleven._

I did it. I left. But I was too drained, I passed out right away.

I just woke up. I'm laying outside of the tree, I can barely move. But I can hear footsteps.

I watched as the same man as always walked by, he was far away. I couldn't say anything, I'm too tired.

He went off somewhere I couldn't see, I bet he left food. He talked, as always. He said he's late and can't talk today.

Then he left. He walked by again, and I heard his car leave.

I laid there for a while, trying to get up. I eventually could crawl, so I crawled all the way to the box.

I ate the food and drank the juice. I felt better, but not a lot. I think I ate too fast.

I got dizzy again. I passed out again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing El was super hard for me back then so sorry about that


	17. Sixteen

_Mike._

_She was there. Across the yard, I saw her. She was just standing there, staring at me. She was covered in dirt, head to toe. She looked so different, yet so similar. She still looked pretty._

_I freaked out, naturally, and started running to reach her. I was yelling her name, we were both crying. She looked just as happy as I felt, and it made all those months worth it._

_I got to about fifteen feet away before I couldn't move any closer. I was running and running and running, but I wasn't getting any closer. What's going on?_

_That's when she started yelling my name._

_"Mike!" She yelled, but it sounded really faint and wispy. I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to get closer. "Mike!" She yelled again, and that's when I stopped and looked at the sky._

"Wake up, Mike!"

I jolted upright in my bed and was ready to greet my mom.

But I saw...El.

"Mike." She sobbed, standing there, shaking. She was covered in dirt and blood, and she was trembling. She had hair, she actually had hair.

I jumped up and pulled her into the tightest hug I've ever given. I held her and I held her and I don't plan on ever letting go. We were both sobbing uncontrollably.

"El! Oh my god, El, it's you! It's actually you..." I cried, holding her tighter, if that was possible. I heard a bedroom door open and knew it was Nancy.

My door flew open and she stepped in.

"Mike, it's ok, it's just a dr-" And she went silent. I continued to hold El with all my mite, and I continued to cry. Soon enough, my mom was in the room. Then my dad was. They all watched us cry while we hugged. I didn't care, not one bit.

"Mike...drained," El eventually whispered, and I jumped back and immediately went to action.

"Mom, can you cook her something to eat? And Nancy, can you please show her how to shower? I would, but..." I trailed off. My mom and dad left immediately and went downstairs.

"Of course, and she can borrow some of my pajamas. Come on, I'll show you." Nancy smiled at her, but El looked a little hesitant. I still can't believe she's here, but I can freak out later. I need to help her right now.

"It's ok, El, she'll help you. She's like your new sister, remember?" I spoke quietly, giving her a reassuring smile. She just nodded and walked over to my sister. They walked out and I was alone.

Did she get out? I thought she couldn't. This is actually insane.

Although I'm confused, I don't want to question it. I'm just happy she's home, I don't think I would have lasted much longer without her.

I walked downstairs because I know my parents will have questions. I owe them an explanation.

I slowly walked into the kitchen and my mom was cooking food while my dad was just sitting at the table.

"Uh, hey," I spoke up, and they both turned to look at me simultaneously.

"Eleven was a girl? I knew you had bad dreams about something involving an Eleven, but a person? Mike, I know about all of what went on last year. And I know you didn't want to tell me about this Eleven, but you didn't think to tell us that she was coming?" My mom flipped out, nearly yelling at me. I just gave her a weird look.

"Mom, I didn't know she was coming. I thought she died, that's why I had nightmares. But she's here and she's going to stay here " I spoke sheepishly, just incase. I was practically ordering them around, but I don't care. She's not leaving, never again.

It was silent as my mom continued to make food. My dad just sipped at his orange juice and didn't say anything, which I know annoys my mom.

"And where will she sleep?" My mom asked quietly, and I shrugged.

"Anywhere. My bed, probably. I'll sleep in the basement. Until we can figure something else out, at least," I explained, and she didn't argue. "But Mom, can I sleep with her just tonight? In my bed? She's scared to death and I haven't seen her in a year. Please, just tonight." I begged. At first, she looked at me like I was insane. But she saw how serious I was and eventually agreed.

"Mike, I know she means a lot to you. And I can tell you have feelings for her, but don't do anything rash." She warned, and my face contorted.

"Mom, ew."

"I'm just saying, Michael! I know you're only thirteen, but I have to be cautious. I feel like I know nothing about what's going on in your life and I need to be sure," She explained quickly, and I soon realized this is just as awkward for her as it is for me. I know she's just being a good mom, so I pushed the awkwardness aside and tried to understand where she's coming from. I just brought a girl into the house and it's obvious I like her. I get why she's a little freaked out.

"I get it, Mom. Just calm down, everything is as it should be," I spoke calmly, and she nodded. She started putting all the food onto a plate and I smiled. In that heated moment, I almost forgot that El is upstairs. I'm so used to her not being here, it feels almost...strange.

It was then that I heard the shower turn off upstairs. I turned around and ran up the stairs, waiting in my room. But as I was going up the stairs, I heard my mom say "I hope you're enjoying your juice, Ted."

Soon enough, El walked slowly into the room. She was wearing some of Nancy's pink pajamas and she looked adorable, honestly.

"Hey, you ready to eat?" I asked quietly, walking up to her. She smiled at me and nodded lightly. She looks exhausted, but she needs to eat. Then we'll go back to sleep.

I glanced back really fast to see what time it was. It's two in the morning and I only just now realized.

We walked downstairs slowly, she was obviously far more drained than usual. She was so slow, she also swayed a bit as she walked. She needs rest, lots of it.

I walked her into the kitchen and to the small breakfast table. I sat down next to her and my mom brought her food over. I can see how awkward she feels, but I can't do much to help. She'll feel that way for a while, it's only natural.

Nonetheless, she ate slowly and seemed to be enjoying it. My dad left, he probably feels just as awkward. But my mom sat down across from us, obviously wanting to say something.

"So, Eleven-" I cut her off.

"Call her El, she likes that better." I smiled at her, and she noticeably backtracked.

"Alright. El, do you need anything else?" My mom asked politely, and El just shook her head.

For some reason, I can't stop staring at her hair. I mean, she has hair! I knew she would after a year of being in the Upside Down, but it still surprised me. It looks so much better than I had anticipated it to. It's a pretty brown color that nearly matches her eyes. It's perfect.

"I'm so happy you're home," I whispered out, not able to keep it in. She turned to me, giving me a wide smile.

"Me, too. I missed you," She whispered back, and I gave a shy smile and looked down.

I felt my mom staring daggers into me, but I don't care. El is back and that's all that matters.

She finished her food quicker than I expected she would, but I can only imagine how hungry she was. Sure, she ate every day, but that was only once. And she's so incredibly drained, I'm sure she could eat more. But she just started to stand up, so I did, as well.

We said goodnight to my mom(I did, El just smiled shyly) and went upstairs.

"I'll sleep with you tonight, El. I don't want you getting scared or anything. If you need me, just wake me up," I spoke softly, and she nodded at me with a big smile. I glanced down between us and my heart started beating faster with nerves. Her hand is right there, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind.

I nervously started to grab her hand, hoping it was ok. She visibly startled, and I almost pulled away. But she looked down at our hands and smiled slightly before grabbing mine fully. I was flooded with warmth.

"So, so glad you're home." I smiled at her, and she looked down with red cheeks. We walked the rest of the way to my room and I started preparing my bed. Soon enough, I pulled the blankets back and let her get in.

I cautiously got in next to her, still not sure how close she's willing to be. If she isn't comfortable, I'll sleep on the ground.

She just laid down, though, practically melting into the bed. I went to turn my lamp off, but she laid her hand on my arm.

"Can we keep it on?" She asked quietly, and I nodded immediately. I laid down fully, still being quite cautious. I really don't want her to feel uncomfortable.

She rolled onto her side, facing me. She didn't close her eyes, though, she just looked down at my hand. I smiled to myself and slowly laced our fingers together, watching her body relax. I can't even imagine how on edge she must be. After a year of being completely alone in a cold, dark place, I'd be practically traumatized. I don't blame her for wanting to be comforted.

"Mike?" She whispered, looking up at me.

"Yeah, El?" I whispered back, meeting her eyes. Her face went red again, making her look back down. I waited patiently, not wanting to rush her.

Soon enough, she scooted a bit closer and snuggled up right next to me. I shifted a bit, allowing her to move even closer.

"It's ok, El, you're safe. I'm never letting anything like that happen to you ever again. I promise." She nodded, pressing her head into my chest. I snuggled right back, and it was the best feeling ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Mileven heart may have gotten a bit too carried away at the end, but I have no regrets.  
Long chapter, I hope you liked it.  
COMMENT WHETHER YOU CRIED OR NOT AT ANY TIME  
I cried while writing their mini reunion, it was just so powerful to imagine😭  
-Apple [original a/n posted in September of 2016]
> 
> edit, 12-15-18: wtf this is actually kinda cute.  
I hate the paragraph where she comes back and Mike says "She has hair!" Cuz everyone makes fun of it and it makes me wanna cry lmao
> 
> edit, 5-5-19: ^^let me rephrase. I hate that everyone makes fun of the paragraph, I don't hate the paragraph. It's realistic, but people love to laugh at it.  
Also I hOpE yOu'Re EnJoYiNg YoUr JuIcE, tEd  
Iconic line. So iconic.


	18. Seventeen

_Mike._

I opened my eyes slowly because the sun was so bright. Why is it so bright out? It doesn't get this bright until late in the day. I looked at my clock and it's almost noon. Then, I noticed my lamp was still on, which contributed to the brightness. I switched it off.

I tried to sit up, but El was still laying on my chest. It made smile to see her so calm and peaceful. She needs to sleep, but there's no way I can stand up without waking her.

I slowly unwrapped her arm from around my torso and tried to move her off, but she woke up. She immediately looked around frantically, almost like she was afraid she'd wake up in that place.

"Hey, it's ok, you're safe," I whispered, causing her to look up at me. She smiled slightly, starting to sit up. "You can go back to sleep if you need to," I rushed out as she rubbed her eyes.

"I'm ok. I want food." She smiled lazily at me, and it was actually adorable.

I got out of bed and allowed her to do the same. We went downstairs and my mom was making food.

"Hey, you let me stay home?" I greeted, and she turned to smile at us.

"Yeah, I figured I should so El isn't alone today. It's Friday, anyway," She answered, and I nodded with a smile that said 'thank you'. "How are you feeling, El? Do you need anything?"

El glanced at me awkwardly, so I gave her an encouraging smile. She turned back to my mom and shifted from one foot to the other.

"I'm...I'm hungry," She said at first, then opened her mouth to talk again, but hesitated. "Please?" She said slowly, looking over at me with red cheeks.

"Yeah, it's please!" I practically cheered. For some reason, I felt proud. My mom continued to make food and just added more. I assume she was cooking lunch for her and Holly.  
_(A/N: I know it seems stupid that El wouldn't know please but honestly who was sitting her down and teaching her manners?? No one so don't argue)_

"Oh, although I'm not sure where you came from, I made you a doctor's appointment. Just to make sure you're ok." My mom smiled and turned to look at El. But El's eyes were big and she started breathing heavier.

"No." She was shaking her head and turned to look at me with panicked eyes. "No, no. Mike," She rushed out, walking over to me and grabbing my arm.

"El, it's ok, Dr. Brenner is gone. The bad man is gone. No one's looking for you anymore," I assured, reaching up and grabbing her hand. "It's ok, you're safe. I promise you're safe."

She calmed down quickly and nodded at me. She didn't let go of my hand, though, so I know she's still nervous. My mom gave us a weird look as I walked El into the living room.

"Mike, it's not safe," El spoke frantically, starting to pace back and forth.

"No, El, listen. No one is going to hurt you, no one wants to hurt you. You are safe." My words were so exaggerated, I just wanted to get them across to her. "You're safe with me, El."

She stopped pacing and looked at me with misty eyes. She nodded again, walking over to me and grabbing my hand again.

"Do you want a hug?" I asked quietly, and she gave me a confused glance. I felt a small pang in my heart when she gave me that look. She doesn't know what hug means? Sometimes I forget that she grew up without a mom. "A hug, like last night when you came back. When we held each other." She looked a bit confused still, but she nodded anyway. I opened my arms and she slowly wrapped her own around my torso. I held her tight, knowing it would calm her down at least a little bit.

I'm honestly not afraid to admit that hugging El is probably my favorite thing to do. She's just so warm and small. She's actually about the same size as me, but she feels small. She's also a bit too skinny, but that's not her fault. Eating once a day isn't enough. But she'll be eating three times a day now.

"Kids, your food is ready!" My mom yelled from the kitchen, which wasn't that necessary. She's, like, twenty feet away. We walked into the kitchen and ate quickly. El was the first one done, actually. She must've been really hungry.

Once we finished, I took our plates and rinsed them and put them in the sink. We were about to go downstairs when my mom stopped us.

"Mike, there's no time to sit around and talk. You need to find El some clothes and get ready to go," She scolded, making me roll my eyes. I agreed and lead El upstairs.

"Uh, do you wanna see if any of Nancy's clothes will fit?" I asked, then looked down at what she was currently wearing. Nancy's pajamas, and they fit well enough. Nancy is quite small, after all. "Yeah, let's look and see what Nancy has. You can pick anything you want! Probably a sweater, though. It's cold out," I rambled as I showed El where all of Nancy's clothes are.

She picked out some and I just let her get dressed in Nancy's room. I got dressed, as well, and stood in the hallway to wait for her. It felt weird, almost like she'd walk out in that same pink dress. That was the moment I realized I like her. She just looked so pretty. But honestly, I like her better with brown hair.

The door opened and I looked up. She was in some regular jeans and a cute sweater. It was a pretty blue color and I got that same feeling all over again. That insanely warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. Difference is, this time it felt like actual fire and wouldn't go away.

She gave me a small smile, which made me realize that I was staring. I looked away a bit and tried to remember the task at hand.

"Uh, I think we're mostly ready, just..." I trailed off before grabbing her hand and pulling her downstairs. I found my mom in the living room, packing her purse. "Mom, can you do El's hair? I don't know how to do it in a way that she'll like." She nodded and took El into the bathroom. They took forever, so I sat down in the living room and allowed everything to sink in.

El is back. She's with me again, she isn't in danger. She's here to stay, too! I was sitting and reveling in the fact that she's back when it occurred to me. I haven't told the guys yet.

They then walked out and El's hair was brushed neatly and straitened. It was parted mostly to one side and I once again had a fire in my stomach.

"Ready to go?" My mom asked, and I nodded. I approached them while keeping eye contact with El. Her cheeks got red and I felt mine do the same.


	19. Eighteen

_Mike._

The car ride was short but filled with conversation. My mom and I were assuring El that the doctor's office wasn't that bad when only getting a checkup. She still looked scared, but nodded anyway.

We walked inside and my mom signed us in while El and I took a seat. She was looking around at everyone with big eyes, obviously fascinated by all the different people. She's probably fascinated by everything, if you think about it. She was locked up her whole life.

El's legs started bouncing, which surprised me slightly. I've never seen her move so much when sitting still. She's normally so firm and barely moves.

"Hey, El, it's ok. I'll be in there with you. I'll hold your hand the whole time," I whispered to her, giving her a small, reassuring smile. She looked over at me and let out a deep breath before smiling widely. So pretty.

"Thank you, Mike," She whispered back, then continued to look around the room.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you, what do you want to do with your hair? You can let it grow out, if you want, or you could shave it again." I probably brought this up at a weird time, but I want to distract her a bit. Get her mind off her nerves.

She gave me a long, troubled look. She obviously didn't know exactly what she wanted and just wanted other people's opinions.

"I want to be pretty," She spoke quietly, and I gave her a shy smile.

"You already are. Your hair doesn't determine whether you're pretty or not," I assured, grabbing her hand and giving it a small squeeze. She smiled just as shyly.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked, and I looked down at my lap while I contemplated that.

"Honestly, I liked it shaved. But it's your hair, you need to choose," I admitted, but I knew she would do whatever I said I liked. She's just worried about her appearance, which I understand. People called her a freak and I'm sure she knows what that means.

"I'll shave it." She gave me a big smile, and I smiled back. I nodded, giving her hand another squeeze.

"El...Eleven?" We both looked up and saw a very confused nurse. I stood up, our linked hands causing El to stand, as well. She was nervous again.

We all walked back and my mom took a seat in one of the chairs.

"Sit up there, please," The nurse said, pointing to the weird table-bed thing that has the annoying paper on it. I lead El over and she sat down slowly, the crinkling causing her to make a weird face. I almost laughed, but I feel like that'd be awkward with the nurse in here.

The nurse was at the counter and when she turned around, her eyes landed on me.

"You can take a seat, you don't have to stand." She smiled, but I shook my head.

"She's really nervous and she'd feel better if I stayed with her," I explained, and I saw her glance at our linked hands. She nodded, not questioning it.

She did all the routine stuff that the nurses do that's boring. Just asked questions and most of the time didn't get any answers. She was done quickly.

"So, are you siblings?" The nurse asked as she finished writing, and all three of us got big eyes.

"Uh, no, no. Just...friends. Really good friends," I rushed out, then glanced at El. She was looking at me with awkward eyes and it made me feel a weird sense of guilt. I'm not sure why, it's not like we're dating. But sometimes I want to, and that look she gave me made me believe she wants the same. Even if she doesn't know the real term, I think she wants it to be that way.

"Oh, alright. The doctor will be here shortly," She spoke nonchalantly, obviously unfazed by what just happened. Either that or she didn't get it. She left and it went silent.

I want to talk to El, but it would be too awkward with my mom in here. She's too suspicious of everything I do.  
_(A/N: I got this far into the chapter before realizing I forgot about Holly_😬_ Rip just pretend she's with a babysitter)_

Really soon, a lot sooner than usual, the doctor came in. It was a girl, and I silently thanked mom for considering that. I'm afraid that El would be too sensitive around a male adult, just because of her experience with Dr. Brenner.

The doctor asked all the same questions as the nurse, which was annoying. Why do they do that? They have all the information right in front of them on a paper, why ask again?

Nonetheless, the actual checkup started. Everything seemed perfectly fine until the breathing part. The doctor put the stethoscope on El's back and told her to take a deep breath in. She did it, but she didn't get very far. She started coughing a bit, which made me immediately panic. Is she ok? I know the air was toxic down there, is it bad? Is she going to die?

"Hm, just sounds like you're having a bit of trouble breathing. Your lungs sound relatively clear, it could just be that you have a cold. Try again, honey," The doctor encouraged, moving to a different part on her back. She breathed a bit better that time, which made me calm down. "Yep, that doesn't sound too bad. It should clear up in a few days."

Once the checkup was over, El hurried off the table and immediately stood close to me. I know that was a lot for her, so I'm insanely proud.

"Hey, you did great! And nothing is seriously wrong, so you're gonna be ok," I practically breathed out, feeling the relief. I hugged her, then, not caring who saw. She hugged back tight, her breathing slowing down when she did. It was still so weird to me that she's so comfortable around me. Every other girl I've talked to has basically shied away from me, because I'm weird. This is a definite first and I'm so happy it's with El.

Soon, my mom told us that we need to go, so we pulled apart and walked out of the room. My mom went back to the desk and talked to the lady about another appointment. El gave me a questioning look.

"Oh, right, you have to do these every six months. It's ok, though, it'll be a lot easier next time. Plus, I'll still be there with you. Always," I whispered the last word, and she smiled widely.

"Always," She repeated, and I nodded. Then we left and got into the car again.

"Ok, here's what's gonna happen. We're going to pick up Nancy from school and then go home. I'll give Nancy the keys and she'll take El to the store to buy some clothes of her own," My mom informed as we left the parking lot. El looked over at me, but I couldn't truly read her expression.

"You can go with Nancy to the store, right? Shopping is fun...apparently. I've never understood it, but Nancy enjoys it." I shrugged, and El just nodded slowly. I nodded back, then it went silent.

Soon enough, we were at the high school. I saw Nancy walking away from Steve and waving, which made me partially mad. She's still with the douchebag? I guess he saved her in the end, but I'm not sure I like him.

She got in the front seat and turned to smile at us.

"This'll be fun! I've always wished Mike was a girl, but now he doesn't have to be!" Nancy exclaimed excitedly, and my eyebrows furrowed.

"You're seriously so confusing, I don't understand you," I spoke up, throwing my hands in the air as if to say 'I give up'.

We drove home and it was mostly silent. Nancy told my mom about her day, but it was quiet other than that. We were home quickly.

"Ok, Nancy, have fun but be very careful. She isn't fully comfortable around other people yet, so please be considerate of that," My mom lectured as she got out of the drivers seat. She walked towards the house and Nancy ran to the other side of the car.

"Ok, El, have fun. I'll be here when you get back. And don't worry about other people, Nancy will look after you," I assured, giving her a big smile and opening the door. I started to leave, but was stopped.

"Mike," She spoke loudly, putting both of her hands on my arm. I turned to face her, and she glanced at Nancy with nervous eyes. "No, I'm...I'm scared," Was all she said, tugging on my arm a bit.

"Oh, ok. I'll come along, then," I agreed, getting back in and closing the door. Nancy glanced at us with accusing eyes, but I ignored it.

El didn't move back to her side of the car, she sat in the middle. I held her hand just to make her feel better, and she was leaning against me.

"So, Mike, there's one store that you probably won't want to go into with us," Nancy warned, and my eyebrows furrowed again.

"What store?" I asked, being dumb and not understanding what she meant.

"Well, she needs undergarments," Nancy said smoothly, and my face went blank.

"Oh, yeah, I'll stay outside the store for that part," I nodded, making Nancy nod back. I saw El smiling out of the corner of my eye, she looked amused.

Soon enough, we arrived. And I was suddenly the nervous one, because I have to go shopping for a few hours. Sure, El will be there, but still. I'm a boy, shopping is so boring.


	20. Nineteen

_Nancy._

Eleven is honestly a very pretty girl. I feel like she'd look good in anything, which is strange. She's only thirteen and she's prettier than most girls I know.

She looks nice in my blue sweater, though. Pastels are nice, but I feel she'd look really great in medium to darker colors. Especially maroon, I think she'd rock maroon.

Also, let me just say that her and Mike aren't fooling _anyone. _They so obviously like each other a bunch. I wouldn't be surprised if they start dating soon, they're practically already a couple. Holding hands twenty-four seven and smiling at each other constantly. It's kind of sickening how cute they are.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous. I am partially jealous. Steve is great, he really is, but he doesn't give me that feeling. I can see how Eleven makes Mike feel and I've never felt that towards Steve. He's my first real boyfriend, though, so I don't expect to feel that way.

The mall was fairly empty for a Friday. I was so thankful, too, because I know Eleven wouldn't handle people well. She can barely handle me yet.

I parked and we all got out. Eleven was literally clinging onto Mike's arm as we walked to the entrance. He held a small smile constantly, which was honestly adorable. Why does my thirteen-year-old brother have a better relationship than me?

When we got inside, there were actually a lot of people. It looks like they're all walking around, though, and not in the stores. Teenagers like to come here to meet up with friends, they hardly ever go shopping.

I stood on the other side of Eleven as we walked, wanting her to feel safe. Well, more safe than she does. I'm sure she's silently panicking.

We walked towards the first store and I was already recognized by a group of people from my school. They gave me a weird look when they saw me with my brother and 'some random girl' but I didn't care. I've learned to overcome all of that, honestly. Mike is my brother and I'm not ashamed of him. And now Eleven is my sister, so I'm not ashamed of her.

We walked into the first store and Eleven looked around like it was an entirely new planet. It was insanely empty, besides workers, so we were free to roam. I lead the way, of course, and continually asked if she liked things. She nodded at basically everything I pointed out, which I sort of expected. It's not like she has a style, she wore a hospital gown for as long as she can remember. Then Mike put her in my dress and that's it. No other experience with clothes.

"Ok, I think we've gotten enough for now. You should try them on, make sure you like them." I smiled at her, and she nodded. We went back to the dressing rooms and I hung up all of the clothes that had hangers. All of the loose clothes, I just set on the bench. Then, I left, and Mike and I sat on a bench outside her door.

"She's having fun," He spoke up, and I looked at him with a confused expression.

"How can you tell? She had the same expression that whole time." I looked at him in disbelief, smiling slightly.

"No, her eyes changed a lot. And she kept responding quicker and quicker. Not to mention, she let go of my hand," He explained, and I continued to look at him. "What?"

"It's just crazy, Mike. You've known her for a week, in all technicality. She was here that week and then gone for an entire year. In all reality, you don't know much about her. But you know enough to make me believe you've known her your whole life. And it's all just from observing," I rambled, but he listened carefully.

"I care about her, I want her to be comfortable and ok. I'm able to recognize her emotions for that exact reason," He explained, and I looked back over at him with misty eyes, I'm not gonna lie.

"Mike, you're truly an amazing guy, and I want you to know that. At your age, boys are usually just...cold, I guess. They don't care about feelings, they just care about appearance. You care about her, truly, and it's amazing," I admitted, and he looked over at me with a small smile.

"Thank you, Nancy," He spoke quietly, then the door opened. We looked over and she stepped out in another pair of jeans(but closer to her size) and another sweater I had picked out. Maroon, of course.

"Wow, El, it looks amazing! Do you like it?" I asked, giving her a big smile. She nodded, looking over to Mike.

"You look very pretty, El." He smiled sweetly at her, and she looked down sheepishly. Honestly, the cutest couple ever. She stepped back in and decided to try something else on.

Mike and I sat back again, and it was quiet for a minute. But he was first to talk.

"Nancy, what does love feel like?" He asked quietly, and my head immediately snapped in his direction. Did he just ask me that?

"Um, well, I'm not positive. I haven't felt it yet, but some people describe it by just saying 'it's like a fire that you can't put out,'" I whispered, and his eyes widened a bit as he looked down. "Why?"

"Like a fire in your stomach? Like...it used to just feel really warm, but it suddenly feels hot and it's never-ending? And it happens most when they're around, but just the thought of them brings the burning feeling?" He said all of this as a question, but I think they were closer to statements.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I've heard." I nodded, and he nodded back.

"So, how do you fix those feelings?"

"What do you mean 'fix'?" I asked, not really sure what that could mean. You don't fix love, you either embrace it or be stubborn and fight it.

"What do you do about it, I guess I should say," He mumbled, which means he's embarrassed.

"Well, if it were me, I'd embrace it. I'd tell whoever I love how I feel. And if they don't understand what love is, I'd explain it to them," I spoke gently, and he only nodded. It wasn't awkward anymore, just quiet. I think I actually helped, which I'm happy about. If he loves Eleven, he needs to tell her.

She tried on a few of the outfits I picked out, then asked to try on a dress. She likes dresses, I can tell. Surprisingly, the first one she liked was plaid pattern. It was blue and green with red and yellow lines. It was pretty, definitely, but I hadn't expected her to pick it. She's been really into pink this whole time, which is probably because of the first ever dress she put on. But she looks nice in blue, so I'm not complaining.

I went into the dressing room to help her zip the back, then stepped back to look at her. Something was missing, I just can't decide what. After a very long look at her, I knew what it needed.

"I'll be right back, I know what will make this even better!" I cheered, leaving the dressing room and giving Mike a small smile before walking back out. I found a small section of belts and thanked the lord they were there.

I found a small, skinny, light brown one. It was actually perfect and exactly what I envisioned.

I got back to the room and she was looking at me both nervously and curiously. I wrapped it around her waist slowly, hoping she was ok with it.

"This is called a belt, it's normally used to keep your pants up. But they're also a great accessory." I smiled up at her as I bent down to latch it in the front. She smiled a tiny bit back, nodding.

I stepped back to look at her and she honestly looked amazing. I'm jealous of a thirteen-year-old, what has my life come to?

"Mike, you ready to see her? Just a small warning, she looks amazing," I yelled out, and Eleven's cheeks went bright red.

"Yeah, I wanna see!" He yelled excitedly, sounding like a little kid that's being left out.

I opened the door and stepped out, holding the door open while she walked out slowly. I was just watching Mike, wanting to see his reaction. He took her in with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth. He stood up, as well, and they approached each other. I honestly can't get over how adorable they are.

"El, you look so pretty."

I think I might cry, I'm not even joking.

"Thank you, Mike." She smiled shyly, and they continued to just look at each other.

I think I shed a tear, I think that just happened.

They finally chilled out enough for her to change into her original clothes. Then we went to a store that mainly sold undergarments. Mike stood outside. We bought everything, actually, and it wasn't terribly expensive. But we bought A LOT and I decided that was enough for today. It's getting close to dinner time.

"Ok, we'll come back another time. We should get home." I smiled at them, then led the way out of the store. As we walked, they slowly fell back a bit, no doubt Mike did it on purpose. I kept walking, but strained to hear what they were saying.

"El? Do you remember what I said to you that day in the cafeteria?" Mike asked quietly, and I'm assuming she nodded.

"You said you like me and that it wasn't as a friend," She was even quieter, but I somehow heard.

"Yeah, but before that. Do you remember why I told you that I like you?" His voice was a bit higher than normal, meaning he's nervous. It was silent for a minute.

"Snowball?" She asked, her voice unsure and the word coming out slow.

"Yeah, the Snowball. It's next week and I was thinking..." He trailed off suddenly. "Nancy?" I stopped walking and turned around to face them.

"Yeah?"

"Can we do one more thing?" He asked, his face nervous.

"Sure, lead the way." I motioned, and he walked forward with a purpose. Eleven walked quickly to keep up.

Soon, we were outside of the store that I've only been in once. It was a store for fancier dresses, ones that you'd wear to school dances. Steve took me to one at the end of the year last year, and I came here to buy my dress.

I looked over at Mike and his face held pure embarrassment. But then I looked at Eleven and her eyes were sparkling. She was looking at all the dresses in the display window with such big eyes, I think she's actually in a trance. It sometimes doesn't occur to me how bad her life really was before all of this. I don't know all the details, no one does. I only know the basics, Mike told me. I think he knows more than he let's on, but I don't want to intrude.

"El, you can choose any dress you want. Absolutely anything," I promised, but silently prayed that it wouldn't be too expensive. I know my mom wouldn't care, but it's not like I want to push our luck.

We walked inside and she started walking around, looking at every individual dress and touching every fabric. She asked if she could try some on, and I agreed. So she picked up five dresses that she liked, with my help finding the right size.

Mike and I sat and waited outside the dressing room, again. She opened the door for the first four and didn't look too pleased.

"Do you like it?" I'd ask every time, and she'd shrug. None of them suited her the way they could, she needs something that will really make her stand out. I know she wants the same, so I told her to try on the last one she picked out.

It took her a lot longer this time, and I was sort of worrying. What if she hated it and didn't even want to show us?

"El, are you ok?" Mike called out, obviously thinking the same thing.

"I...I want this one," She called out, and the door started to open.

"No no no, don't come out!" Mike suddenly yelled, covering his eyes.

She closed the door again, probably _very _confused.

"Do you...do you not want to see me?" She asked quietly, and he kept his eyes covered while he answered.

"No, not right now. I want to wait until the dance, I want it to be special. I'm sure you look amazing, but I want it to be a surprise," He explained frantically, and she agreed quietly. She closed the door and got dressed again. When she came out, I went in and started gathering everything. I told her and Mike to put back the ones she didn't like while I paid for the dress.

I picked up the one she chose and smiled widely. It's perfect.

I walked it to the counter and asked to make sure the bag wasn't see-through. The bag ended up being light blue and I wanted to laugh at that coincidence. Blue for the Snowball dress.

I met back up with them at the front of the store and we went home.  
They held hands the whole ride and had wide smiles.


	21. Twenty

_Mike._

We got home and Nancy offered to keep El's dress in her closet. It was nice of her, actually. I'd be tempted to look if I kept it in mine.

We walked in and a very important question popped into my head.

"Mom, where is El gonna put her clothes?" I yelled, and I got no response at first. None of us thought about that, I see.

"Can she just keep them in the bags for tonight? We'll figure something out!" My mom yelled back, and I nodded to myself. "Dinner is almost ready. Take everything upstairs then come back down."

I turned to El and gave her a small smile. "Here, why don't you go sit down? I'll take everything upstairs." She gave me a confused look.

"Mike, there's a lot to carry." She shook her head, and she was right. We each held like five bags.

"El, please, I can carry it. I want to! Go get comfortable." I smiled wide, taking the bags she was holding. She gave me a look of concern, but I just started lugging everything upstairs. I didn't want her carrying anything, to be honest. I've studied her enough to know when she's getting tired. She only got back yesterday and then went walking around all day today. She's still a bit drained and now she's sleepy on top of that. I don't want her carrying anything for the rest of the day.

I walked into my room and dropped everything near the wall. I stood it all back up, obviously. I was about to leave again when my eye caught something shiny. I looked over and it was the antenna of my supercom, which once again reminded me of my friends. I went over and picked it up, hoping Lucas will answer.

"Lucas, do you copy?"

"Mike! Where the hell have you been? We went to your house after school and no one was there!" I rolled my eyes, starting to talk before he could continue.

"Are Will and Dustin with you?" I asked in a tone that told them to answer without question.

"Yeah, they're here."

"Good. Be at my house in an hour, come in through the basement door, it'll be unlocked. She's here, she's back."

-

We finished eating and I immediately lead her downstairs. They'll be here in around five minutes. We sat on the couch and she started staring at her fort. I said nothing, there's nothing to say.

"Mike?" She asked, turning to look at me. I gave her an encouraging look and her face went a bit red. "I need to use the bathroom," She whispered, and I gave her a comforting smile.

"El, you don't need to ask, you can go whenever you need to," I spoke softly, because I know she doesn't know any better. When she was in that place, I'm sure she had zero privacy.

She walked to the bathroom and turned around to look at me with troubled eyes.

"You can keep the door open, El, don't worry," I called out, and she nodded. She closed it a bit so it wasn't wide open, but I wasn't able to see her. She went and I'll admit it was a tiny bit awkward since I could hear it _but _let's not talk about that.

She washed her hands, which made me smile a bit. At least they taught her basic hygiene. She came out and sat back down with me, she was closer to the door. I glanced at my watch and they could be here literally any minute.

The door burst open just as I thought that and Dustin and Lucas sprinted in. El jumped and turned to look, and I believe that's the biggest smile she's had all day.

"El!" They yelled in unison, and she stood up to give them hugs. It was actually really adorable, they seemed so happy to see her. I know she was their friend, too, I shouldn't have been so harsh on them.

Will was standing by the door awkwardly, so I motioned him over. He sat down next to me as the boys continued talking to El about stuff like her hair.

"So this is El? I remember her talking to me when I was in that place, but I don't remember her herself at all. I was too out of it." He nodded with a side smile that didn't show happiness.

"Yeah, that's El," I spoke quietly, my voice breathy as I stared at her.

"So, you like her. A lot," Will stated, it wasn't a question. I nodded, continuing to take in the giant smile she had right now. She looks the best like this. Happy, glowing.

"More than you'd think," I mumbled out as they calmed down their chatter. "El, come properly meet Will!"

She turned her head to look at us and smiled brightly again. She doesn't smile this much around just me.

"Hi, Will," She greeted, and he stood up to go closer. I know I'm overreacting a bit, but a knot formed in my stomach when she hugged him. She's being so...open. She isn't even like this around me sometimes. I knew she'd be this way around Dustin and Lucas, but I didn't expect it with Will. Isn't he technically a stranger?

She pulled away from him and came back to sit down with me. She gave me a warm, closed-mouth smile and I returned it half-heartedly. Something tells me she somehow knows what I'm feeling.

The others were yelling and wrestling with each other, as usual. Nothing new there.

"Mike," she spoke up to get my attention, and I looked at her with big eyes. She grabbed my hand, and for some reason, that's when everyone went silent. We looked up and they were looking at us with accusing eyes. I rolled my eyes.

"El, are you getting tired?" I asked, and she nodded. I could tell by her half-lidded eyes. "C'mon, I'll take you upstairs."

I gave my friends the 'Don't do anything stupid' look and led her up the stairs. Once she was in bed, I sat down next to her.

"Mike, is everything ok?" She asked quietly, looking at me with concerned eyes. I took one look at her and the small barricade I was trying to build just crumbled.

"El, how does your stomach feel when you look at me?" I asked slowly, cautiously. She shrugged a bit, but smiled.

"Warm."

"How warm?"

"Very warm." She kept smiling, and I looked down for a second. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for any outcome that will be sent my way.

"El, I...I think I love you," I admitted, looking back up at her. Her eyebrows furrowed together, and I sighed. "Love is like...it's when your stomach is warm, but a bit too warm. It feels like a fire that's just trying to claw its way out, and no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try...it just won't go away," I explained in a jumble of words. By the time I was calmed down and I actually looked at her, she was smiling.

"I think I feel that, too. Love." She nodded, starting to play with my fingers a bit. I smiled, once again just going for it.

"Do you know what it means to be girlfriend and boyfriend?" I asked, and she shook her head slowly.

"It's basically like...well, like friends, but more. You hold hands and you kiss and stuff," I explained, my cheeks going red when mentioning the kissing. She gave me a confused look.

"So were we always girlfriend and boyfriend?" She asked, and I shook my head quickly.

"No! Well, not officially. I didn't...I mean, I never asked you," I stuttered out, and she nodded like she wasn't convinced.

"So...will you be my girlfriend?" I mumbled a bit, not meaning to. She gave me a ginormous smile and nodded.

"Yes, Mike. So you're my boyfriend?" She obviously still was a bit confused, but that's ok. She'll figure it out as we go.

"Yeah, I am. You should get some sleep," I encouraged, my entire body tingling. She nodded, her smile not disappearing as she laid down. "Lights on?" She nodded. "Door open?" She nodded again. "Night, El."

"Night, Mike," She replied, that smile still there. I left, keeping the door cracked open a few inches.

I practically sprinted downstairs, and everyone was still there. Just sitting there, talking.

"What took you so long? You were gone for almost fifteen minutes," Lucas scolded, and my body was still tingling like crazy.

"She said yeah, guys, she actually said yes! She's actually mine, I can't believe it," I started babbling, making Lucas role his eyes.

"What are you even on about, Mike?" Dustin asked in a bored voice, and I looked at them with one of the widest smiles I've ever produced.

"She's my girlfriend!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are so boring and annoying ajkekbbfuejk


	22. Twenty One

_Mike._

The boys were getting ready to leave as I found another comforter in a pile of blankets.

"Mike, I know she means a lot to you, but you're sleeping on the couch?" Lucas spoke up, and I nodded.

"It's only temporary, don't worry. I don't mind, anyway, I just want her to be comfortable," I explained and gave them a smile. They nodded back and we said goodbye. They left as I situated the couch just right. I looked at my watch to see that it was almost nine, I hope everyone gets home ok.

"Mike?" I heard El's voice, so I turned around and she was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Is everything ok?" I asked quickly, walking closer to her. She nodded, but I wasn't convinced. "What do you need?"

"I couldn't sleep, I was scared of being alone," She spoke slowly, and I gave her a sympathetic look.

"Alright, I'll talk to my mom and I'll sleep with you again. Let's go." I smiled, leading her upstairs. I turned the light off and found my mom in the living room. "Mom, El is still afraid to be alone and she can't sleep." She gave me a look of disbelief, but nodded anyway. That meant I could sleep with her again.

We went upstairs and got into bed. I was barely laying down before she cuddled close again. She was shaking a bit, which worried me and made me hold her tight.

"El, calm down, it's ok," I whispered, making sure to hold her as close as possible. I knew she'd be messed up after all that, but this is worse than I had anticipated. It's only been a day, though, so I shouldn't jump the gun on anything.

"Will is nice," She spoke up, obviously just wanting to get her mind off things.

"Yeah, he's great. Always the really caring friend, that's for sure. You'll get along with him well," I assured, and she agreed quietly. It was quiet for a long time, so I assume she fell asleep. Which is good, she needs sleep.

I still can't believe she's finally mine. After all that time, she's finally my girlfriend. I'm sure it doesn't mean as much to her as it does to me, but I don't expect it to. She didn't really know what it meant until now.

I fell asleep quickly, with El in my arms.


	23. Twenty Two

_Dustin._

It was actually amazing to see El again. I'll admit, I was fully ready to accept that she was never coming back. But now that she is back, I'm more than happy.

Plus, Mike is smiling again. We might even be able to start playing Dungeons and Dragons again! We couldn't play without a Dungeon Master, so we haven't played in almost a year. Now that El is back, I think we'll be able to play again soon.

I'm happy she's back. Lucas is being a bit sour about it, but that's just because she's gonna take up a lot of Mike's time. He'll get over it soon.

-

_Lucas._

Part of me wishes she didn't come back, but not for the reasons you'd think. I'm happy she's back and I missed her a bunch. I know Mike will be happier now, but this doesn't benefit me at all. Not in the slightest bit.

Seeing her was amazing and seeing her so happy to see me felt great. Well, as great as it can possibly feel.

She's been back for a day and they're already dating? I know they're really close, but I think they rushed it. Mike is rushing it, he's taking advantage of El's obliviousness.

I'm glad they're both happy again, but they don't realize what it's like for the rest of us. Dustin is insanely happy to see her, which is expected. Will is just confused, which is also expected. And I'm just...torn.

-

_Will._

I'm happy I got to meet El! I've heard so much about how pretty and caring she is from Mike, and I agree. She's gonna be a great friend, I can tell!

Seeing Mike so happy lifted the biggest weight off of my shoulders. I try not to blame him for how rude he's been recently, I know he was just in a lot of pain. But he's finally better, and I hope that means our friendship will also be better.

I think something is up with Lucas, though. He's just so sour about how close they are. I can't even begin to imagine why, considering he helped find her. He even admitted that he wanted to find her when he was at my house.

I'm not sure, but I do know that I'm happy about it. Mike is happy, I made a new friend, and everything will be better from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watch Will jinx it smh  
Short again, but also needed to be! Hope you enjoyed anyway
> 
> edit, 12-16-18: wtaf this chapter is so pointless what was I doing—


	24. Twenty Three

_Mike._

I was woken up by loud knocking downstairs. I woke up quickly and when I opened my eyes, El was already sitting up. She was looking towards the door with big eyes and her lip was quivering.

"El? What's wrong?" I sat up, and she looked at me like she was about to break down crying.

"What if it's them? Coming for me?" She asked in a whisper, and I shook my head quickly.

"El, they aren't, I promise. The only one that kept you there was the bad man and he's dead," I explained again, but she wouldn't calm down. "Hey, I'll go check and see who it is." She looked at me hesitantly but eventually nodded. I got up and fixed my shirt, it had twisted around while I slept. Then my pants, which also messed up. Sleeping is such a messy thing.

I walked out of my room and peaked downstairs. I saw no one at the door, but I heard talking. I glanced back at El before slowly going down the stairs. I got closer to the bottom and peaked around the corner, into the living room. My mom was there, along with...Chief Hopper?

I walked the rest of the way downstairs and rounded the corner, making them both turn to look at me.

"Mike, she isn't answering me, she isn't down there," The Chief rushed out, standing up to greet me. He looked absolutely wrecked, like he'd been up all night. I stopped walking and gave him a guilty look.

"Oh, um...she's here. She came here yesterday morning," I mumbled out, not making eye contact. He didn't answer at first, making me glance up at him. He looks angry.

"You didn't think to let me know? Here's me thinking she's dead or something!" He spoke angrily, and I just stood with a guilty look about me.

"Mike?" I heard El ask from behind me, making both of us look over at her. I walked over to her and assured her it was ok. "Is that the man who gave me food?" She asked, looking at the Chief. I glanced at the Chief, then back at her.

"Yeah, I'm glad you remember him." I nodded, smiling at him.

"Thank you," She spoke up, also smiling at him. He shifted a bit before looking at her and giving a ginormous smile.

"You're welcome, I was glad to do it. How're you feeling?" He sounded so worried, it was honestly really sweet. He obviously cares about her, that's not a surprise. I mean, he's been feeding her for almost a year now.

"Better, a lot better," She replied and they shared another smile. That's when there was a knock at the door, so I ran to get it. I swung the door open and was met with Will and his mom.

"Oh, hey! Come in." I opened the door wider, and they stepped in. I gave Will a questioning look and he shrugged at me.

"Joyce, I'm glad you're here. Kids, why don't you go downstairs while the adults talk?" The Chief asked, but it was definitely an order more than a question. We left and went downstairs, none of us speaking.

"What do you think's going on?" I asked, and Will shrugged. El just gave me a worried glance.

"I'm not sure, my mom has been acting weird all morning. So has Jonathan, they were starting to clear out our storage room. It's technically the guest room but we put all the clutter in there," He explained, and I furrowed my eyebrows even more.

"Weird, is someone coming to visit?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"No one would want to, honestly. No one ever visits us because they think my mom is insane. They also think Jonathan and I are weird." He shrugged, and I just nodded in response.

"I guess we'll find out soon." I shrugged right back, and they both agreed. I was right, too, because the door opened right when I said that.

"Mike, can you come upstairs? Alone?" My mom asked in a serious tone, making me glance at both Will and El. I turned back around and slowly went up the stairs, honestly feeling kind of scared. But I calmed down quickly.

After all, it's not like El is going anywhere. That's all I care about.


	25. Twenty Four

_Mike._

"What are you talking about?!" I yelled, scooting to the edge of my seat. My mom's eyes closed when I yelled, and she looked to be in so much stress. But I can't bring myself to care in this instant.

"Listen, Mike, just stay calm. It'll all be ok," Chief Hopper assured, but I shook my head and sat back angrily.

"It won't. You're letting him do this, Mom?" I yelled again, and she gave me a firm look.

"I suggested this, Michael," She spoke just as firm, and I gave her a confused look. "I can't handle this, Michael, I'm sorry."

"What the hell, Mom?" I can't believe she's doing this to me. She gave me a surprised look, but Mrs. Byers started talking before anything could happen.

"Listen, Mike, it'll be ok, I promise. We'll make sure she has everything she needs and you can come over whenever you want."

"She needs me! She's not comfortable around other people! And she can't sleep alone, she's too scared!" I yelled in her defense. And mine, honestly. I'm pinning it on her but I'm not sure I could live away from her after all those months of torture. I need her as much as she needs me.

"Mike, this isn't up for discussion. Eleven will stay with Joyce," Chief Hopper spoke loudly, and I continued to look around in disbelief. Are they seriously doing this?

"Fine, but give her a few days. I'll help her learn to sleep alone. And we can come over to your house every day and get her used to it. Just don't make her leave tonight, she'll just leave and come back here," I spoke glumly, truly not happy _at all. _But I can't argue with the Chief, he's in charge.

"Fine, you have until Friday." The Chief nodded, and I nodded back sadly. I stood up and immediately went downstairs, not ready to break the news.


	26. Twenty Five

_Will._

Mike just went upstairs, which left me and El alone. I turned to her and smiled. She smiled back, but barely. I know she's scared, I can tell by the way Mike was talking to her and standing so close. He wanted to comfort her.

"We should sit and wait for him," I suggested, starting to walk towards the couch. She nodded, following me. We sat in silence for a long time before I turned to her again. "We should get to know each other. I'll start simple, what's your favorite color?" I asked, assuming she knows colors. Who doesn't know colors?

"This one. P-Pink," She stuttered, giving me a nervous look as she pointed at her shirt. It was pink and cotton, she's still in her pajamas.

"Yeah, that's pink. Mine is red." I smiled, and she smiled back.

"Cool." She dropped her smile, looking down at her lap. I don't really know what to say, I don't know how to comfort her. I'm sure I'll learn, though.

"So, wha-" I was cut off by Mike yelling loudly. El immediately stood up, staring at the stairs.

"It's ok, El, he yells a lot. He's probably just not getting his way." I laughed a bit at that, because it's probably true. Mike is great but he doesn't like when things don't work out how he wants them to. He kept yelling, and El wouldn't calm down. She wouldn't blink, either, which was kinda freaky.

"Something's wrong," She spoke randomly, and I looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. I stood up as well, ready to ask her what she means, when the door opened. We both looked at Mike with intense eyes as he slowly thumped down the stairs. His face was filled with so much sadness. I glanced at El, and she was looking at him with just as much pain. She was right.

"Mike, what happened?" I asked, and he looked up at me like I just brought up something horribly sad.

"El, you're moving in with Will. You're leaving," He whispered, and my mouth dropped open. She's living with me? Why?

El started shaking her head quickly and looked as if she was about to cry. Mike did, too. I saw this and decided I'd give them some space. I walked past Mike and patted him on the shoulder lightly. I jogged up the stairs, ready to have a long conversation with my mom.

\- 

_Eleven._

Leaving? Why?

"I don't understand. Why?" I whispered, but he heard me.

"I don't know, El. My mom suggested it and I guess Will's mom agreed. I don't know, I don't," He talked loudly, but softly. And he started crying, which made me cry.

"I don't want to leave," I whispered again, and he walked over to me. He pulled me into a hug and we cried.

_We just cried._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit, 12-16-18: why are they so dramatic yeesh it's not like they're moving her to a new state or something. Gosh my writing used to be so unrealistic lol


	27. Twenty Six

_Will._

I'm not disappointed or anything. I'm excited to have El staying with us, but that doesn't mean I'm going to keep quiet. I walked into the doorway of the kitchen, but no one noticed me.

"You're doing the wrong thing, you know," I stated simply before turning around and walking to the door. I went out and sat in the car, waiting for my mom. I still can't believe she agreed to this. What makes her think we can even afford it?

The door opened then and I looked over at her. She didn't say anything at first, she just stared at her lap.

"I know what you're thinking and trust me, it'll be ok. Everything will be ok," She spoke softly, trying not to upset me.

"Mom, we can't afford this," I shot back, not really meaning to. I'm so tired of having to remind her.

"Will, Hop offered me a job. And it's good pay." She stopped me from continuing, and my eyes widened. A new job? But she isn't qualified to be anything close to a cop.

"A job as what?" I asked, now just filled with curiosity. It wasn't until now that I noticed we were already driving.

"He wants me to help with kids. Mostly for the ones whose parents were just arrested. It messes them up, understandably," She spoke like it was no big deal, but it was insanely big.

"Mom, that's amazing! Will you be home more?" My voice was practically seeping with hope. She turned to me with a big smile and nodded. "Ok, so, we can afford it. But what if she never adjusts? And I hate to assume this, but I think they've both been through enough," I practically mumbled, and she sighed loudly.

"I understand, Will, I do. If it was up to me, she'd stay with him." She was gentle with it, but I responded so quick, I almost cut her off.

"It is up to you! She's coming to our house!" I yelled, and she glanced at me with a shocked expression.

"Will, calm down. Karen was freaked out and I offered to take her in. I didn't ask for her, I want her to stay where she's comfortable. Hop thinks it would be better, anyway. I really am sorry, I know they want to stay together," She explained in a desperate voice, but I just turned away and looked out the window.

I'm happy she's coming to live with me because I want to get to know her better. I want to be her friend, and I think living with me will seal the deal. So, yeah, it's not like I'm disappointed, I'm just annoyed. Mike and El need each other, it's so obvious. I don't want them to be uncomfortable or sad. I just want them to be ok.

They deserve it more than anything, _to be happy_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of these chapters are genuinely so pointless, sigh~


	28. Twenty Seven

_Mike._

It's Sunday, we just woke up. I slept on the floor next to my bed. It's the first step to getting El used to sleeping alone. My back is killing me, but I really had no choice. I have to follow orders, whether I like it or not.

"El, it's time to get up," I spoke quietly, laying my hand on her arm. She slept curled in a tight ball all night and she didn't look like she was sleeping well. I wanted so badly to just climb into bed and comfort her, but I couldn't. I had to sit and watch her squeeze her eyes shut, almost like she was in pain.

She woke up quickly and looked up at me with eyes that looked to be melting. They slowly turned from fear to relief as she took in my presence. It hurt to see her so scared, she must've been having a nightmare. The moment I came to that realization, my heart sank.

"Are we going to Will's?" She asked loudly, and I realized she had been talking to me. I looked at her with apologetic eyes and nodded. "And I'll get to see my room?" I nodded again, but slower.

We got up fully and got dressed. She didn't bother looking too nice, apparently, but she still looked pretty to me. Jeans and a t-shirt are pretty on her. Everything is pretty on her.

"Ready to go?" I asked as she walked out of the bathroom, and she just nodded. We headed downstairs and my mom met us at the bottom. She said nothing as she lead us out the door. I haven't been talking to her, for obvious reasons. I love El and my mom is sending her away.

The ride was pretty much silent besides El's heavy breathing. I held her hand and tried to calm her down, but it didn't work. She just kept freaking out and I couldn't do anything to make her feel better. I felt useless once again.

Mrs. Byers and Will were waiting for us outside when we got there, and I'm pretty sure they both looked just as scared as El. Having a new addition to the house must be pretty stressful for Mrs. Byers, but she's the one who offered to take El in.

I looked around before getting out of the car, and noticed Chief Hopper was there, as well. We made eye contact as I slid out of the car and stood up. El climbed out after me and surprised me by grabbing my hand. I looked over at her and gave her a small smile, and she returned it, but neither one of them was comforting.

"Hey, El!" Will cheered, and she gave him a wide smile. It was forced, but only I would know that, so I didn't say anything. I just let him believe she was happy to be here, but she isn't. She'd rather stay with me.

We came early so we could all eat breakfast and discuss things. I wanted Lucas and Dustin to come, but the Chief said it was unnecessary. He's starting to get on my nerves.

We all walked inside and El looked around slowly, obviously not recognizing it too much. The last time she was here, the place had lights hanging up all over and the wall was covered in letters. Now, the walls are painted a normal beige color and there are no lights. There's nicer furniture, as well, since the Chief ruined all of the older stuff.

We entered the dining room and Mrs. Byers immediately told us to sit down. El and I found seats first and everyone else followed suit. Mrs. Byers left the room and then came back with a bunch of food. She must've been really worried about El liking it here, because the first thing I noticed was Eggos. El got excited at that and looked happy. It made me happy, even if she's only happy for a moment.

We started eating and everyone was silent for a minute. Soon, Chief Hopper decided to start a conversation.

"Look, I know you aren't happy about it, but this is just how it has to be. At least try to get used to being here and try not to act like it's the end of the world," He spoke softly, but his voice held authority. It made me mad, but I just set my jaw and pretended it was ok. The rest of breakfast was awkward and quiet, which just made me even more mad. We came here to talk about things and no one is talking. Everyone is just glancing at El, which was bothering her and no one even noticed. After a long, long while, I was fed up.

"Do you all mind? She's obviously uncomfortable and you're all staring at her," I spit out, and everyone turned to look at me with startled expressions. I didn't falter, though, I just continued to look at everyone with a mad expression. Will looked sympathetic, and he's the only one who did. El was just looking at me with surprised but thankful eyes, and I smiled slightly at her. I checked and she was done with her food, so I looked back up and gave everyone a fake smile. "We're just gonna go have a look at El's new room."

I didn't give anyone time to answer, I just lead El down the hallway and into her new room. She looked around for a while before turning back to me and frowning.

"I want to go home," She whispered, her eyes starting to glaze over with sadness. It hurt me to see her so sad, so I walked closer and pulled her into a tight hug. I held her for a long time and eventually felt her start to cry. I only hugged her tighter, there was nothing else I could do.

We stayed like that for as long as possible. We were cut off by my mom yelling for us, saying it's time to go. We pulled apart and she dried her face a bit, looking really embarrassed.

"Hey, El, it's ok, you look fine," I assured, but she still looked panicked. I gave her a small, shy smile before leaning closer and kissing her cheek lightly. "You look very pretty." And that's the widest she's smiled since yesterday morning.

We left the room and said goodbye to everyone, then walked out to the car.

"So, we're going home?" I asked, grabbing El's hand as we walked. My mom shook her head, and I gave her a confused look as she glanced at our hands.

"We're going to go get El a winter coat and a few other things."

"Alright, sounds good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tf who shit in Mike's cornflakes?  
Also I'm annoyed by it saying "Mrs. Byers" but oh well I'm not gonna change it lol


	29. Twenty Eight

_Mike._

The store we went to was packed. It was a store that specifically sold coats and turns out _everyone_ wanted to go today. El was nervous, but I held her close and made sure she felt safe. We looked around for a long time and she tried on a lot of coats. It got kind of tedious, but neither of them seemed to mind.

"Are we gonna pick one soon? It's been almost thirty minutes," I complained, rolling my eyes at them. My mom rolled her eyes back and continued to show El coats. It seemed like forever before El saw one and actually reached for it. It was a _really _bright pink, but that's ok. As long as she likes it, I like it.

She loved it, her smile was large. We bought it immediately. She looked so happy, it almost distracted me from my thoughts. All I can think about is how she has to leave me. What made my mom think this was a good idea?

"I think it's time we get her some new shoes, too-" I cut her off.

"Mom, we're gonna be out for hours," I groaned, but she ignored me as she lead us out of the store. We walked down a few stores on a very crooked sidewalk and ended up at the shoe store. This will take even longer.

I swear we were in the store for hours. They just tried out shoe after shoe _after shoe_, and I was going insane. How can someone take two hours to find one pair of shoes?

By the ten billionth pair, El looked pleased. They were simple, too, just some black shoes. It was a blessing to leave that store, I think the fumes from the new shoes were driving me crazy.

"Ok, I think that's it. I just need to go grocery shopping and then we'll be done for the day." My mom smiled widely as we climbed into the car.

"Can me and El stay in the car?" I asked with hope in my voice, and she nodded slowly. Her hesitancy was both annoying and comforting. We got to the store and my mom was quick to inform me that she'd be fast. I nodded and she left. I took that as my cue to talk to El properly, for the first time ever.


	30. Twenty Nine

_Mike._

"So, El, how do you feel?" I asked quietly, and she shrugged.

"I'm ok. I like my new things." She gave me a small smile, and it made me happy.

"Good, I'm glad." I nodded, and it went quiet. She looked bored, so I started talking again. "Look, El, I know this sucks. I'm trying not to let it get to me, but I'm just so sad. I don't want you to leave, but I can't argue with anyone about it. You're leaving and there's nothing I can do about it," I vented, and she just looked at me with sad eyes.

"I want to stay, too. Can't you just...con...convince them?" She struggled a bit, and it made it hurt ten times more than it already did. She wants me to argue and get them to let her stay, but I know they won't budge. My mom is set on this and there's no changing her mind. She just has her mind on lock.

"El, there's no point. My mom won't listen, she never has." I know I sound dramatic, but it's not completely false.

"But you won't try?" She asked in a dull voice, and I looked down in slight shame. She's right.

"The Snowball is next week. Are you excited for that?" I asked, changing the subject. She nodded, giving in to her smile. She can't stay mad at me and I don't know whether to feel happy about that, or just feel sorry.

"I don't know what you do at a Snowball," She spoke sheepishly, and it was adorable.

"You dance, mostly. There's also food there, that's the best part." I gave her a wide smile, and she smiled just as big.

"Dance?" She asked quietly, and I gave her a reassuring glance.

"Don't worry, I'll show you." She nodded in response, and we sat quietly for a while, just enjoying each other's presence. That's when my mom came back, which ruined the moment.


	31. Thirty

_Mike._

The next week brought some pretty insane stuff. Mostly just adjusting El to her own room and getting her well acquainted with Will's house and family. It was insane, boring, but mostly sad. It's Friday and I'm not ready to face reality.

We're packing up the rest of her stuff. That's only a pair of pajamas and her shoes, but still. She's moving slow, trying to drag her time out. To be fair, so am I. Anything to keep her here for only a few minutes longer.

But soon, it was time. We had nothing left to stall with and we had to go. It hurt to think about, how am I going to live it?

This past week has been amazing. Not at night, granted, but during the day. She got so comfortable with me and my family, it's just going to hurt that much more. I still can't believe my mom is doing this.

El and I went down the stairs as slowly as possible, still stalling. But Nancy rushed us down and we were facing the door before we knew it.

"I'll see you often, El. I'll miss you either way." Nancy smiled widely and pulled El into a tight hug. See? Told you her and my family got close. She loves Holly, especially.

"I'll miss you, too," She whispered with a big smile, but it wasn't at all happy. They pulled apart and said their goodbyes before El moved on to Holly. She won't see her as much, which makes El sad. She really loves Holly, she likes to play dolls with her while I'm showering or just away.

Soon enough, we were heading out the door. It was getting dark out and I wasn't very pleased. That means it's around six and I only have a few hours to stay over. Then I have to leave her.

The drive was short and silent, El didn't even glance at me. She just stared out her window and kept a neutral expression. By the time we got there, she looked slightly angry. My mom got out of the car and before I could follow, El spoke up.

"You could've tried to convince her," She whispered before getting out of the car and leaving me to be confused. I just watched her as she stood there and waited for me to join her. It was starting to get really cold out, but not enough for a heavy jacket, so she was in a sweater. Her sleeves were pulled down to cover her hands and her hair laid flat and barely brushed. She looked around with wide eyes, still getting used to the outdoors.

_Why didn't I fight?_

I got out and walked to her side of the car, and she held her hand out. She didn't look me in the eye, though, so I can tell she's still a bit mad. Nonetheless, I took her hand and walked her to the house. We entered and it was toasty warm. I could smell food being made and it was nice. The house just made me feel nice.

They already had their tree up, but I can't blame them. It's the beginning of December, most people are already getting festive.

Basically everyone was in the living room, including Dustin and Lucas. I haven't gotten to see them much with all the craziness going on, so it was cool to see them. They were mostly just happy to see El, but I can't blame them.

"So, Mike, you excited for the Snowball?" Dustin teased, like he's done every time I've seen him. El's face heated up before mine did, and I just nodded. The adults all talked while all of the kids spoke, as well. It felt like an early Christmas party, it was weird.

"Let's go take El's stuff to her room," Will suggested, and we all nodded. I grabbed El's bag before she could, causing her to roll her eyes. But she gave me a small smile, meaning she really appreciates it.

We walked back to her room and I truly felt a small pang in my chest when we walked in. This is her new room, she lives here now. Away from me.

Currently, her room is pretty boring. I assured her that we'd get stuff to put on the walls, though. That cheered her up.

Once everyone was inside, I went to her dresser and placed her pajamas inside one of the top drawers. Before I knew it, she was next to me and taking her bag from my hand.

"Mike, I'll do this, it's ok." She smiled sweetly, and I couldn't argue with that smile. I stepped back, giving her a big smile.

"You guys are practically married, I swear," Lucas scoffed, laughing afterwards. But something about all of it seemed off, there was an edge to his voice. I didn't want to assume anything, so I just ignored it.

"But seriously, are you guys ready for the Snowball?" Dustin brought up again, but he sounded serious this time. El and I nodded, glancing at each other with wide eyes.

"I don't know, I'm not taking anyone," Will spoke up, and Lucas just shrugged.

"You know, I had a dream about the Snowball. I was dancing with that new girl, I can't remember her name," I mumbled out, and Dustin spoke up quickly.

"Max, her name is Max. I talked to her today, actually. She sits behind me in science class." He perked up a bit, and the rest of us shared a knowing glance.

"You should ask her to go with you," Will suggested, and we all nodded along enthusiastically. He got big eyes and started to argue when my mom opened the door.

"Boys, time to go." She smiled widely, but Dustin and Lucas started shaking their heads.

"Uh, no, we're staying over," Lucas spoke politely, and I looked at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"Why wasn't I invited?" I blurted out, feeling hurt. They planned a sleep over without me? Even El is here!

"Well you should actually answer your radio next time," Dustin scolded in a teasing way, smiling wide. My face went red and I gave an embarrassed smile. I turned to my mom and gave her a pleading look.

"Fine, borrow Will's clothes. And please keep to your own." She gave me a stern look, and I rolled my eyes. I agreed anyway, getting annoyed with her paranoia. Does she forget that I'm only thirteen? She left and I turned back to my friends.

"So, what now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lame ending soz
> 
> edit, 12-16-18: omg Max my love has entered the story  
Max is my favorite character in this series so y'know get ready for her !


	32. Thirty One

_Mike._

We ended up just sitting around and talking. El started getting more comfortable about ten minutes in. She started commenting in when someone asked a question, which made me feel a bit better.

"Hey, Mike, how are your nightmares?" Will randomly asked, and I turned to him with the widest eyes ever.

"Nightmares? What nightmares?" El spoke up, and everyone looked at her with troubled eyes. I didn't know what to say, honestly.

"I was having nightmares for a few months. Just dreams that you came back and stuff, so they're obviously gone." I looked at Will when I said that, but he just gave me an apologetic look.

"So you're ok?" She asked, giving me a worried glance.

"Yes, El, I'm perfect." I smiled widely, grabbing her hand. She nodded back, then looked down at her lap. "What is it?"

"I have those. But mine are where I leave. Or get taken," She spoke quietly, and my mind just went into overdrive. She has bad dreams when she's alone and I'm about to let her move in with Will. Alone.

"What? El, why didn't you tell me? Are you ok?" I rushed out, and she just nodded. I knew she would, she doesn't like to admit when she's feeling sad. "El, really, talk to me," I whispered to her, and she looked up at everyone else with hesitant eyes.

"It scares me and I really don't want to sleep alone," She admitted, and I was just in physical pain. But, as if on cue, Mrs. Byers came in and told us it was time for bed.

"Guys, find a way to cover for me. I can't leave her alone, at least not tonight. I'm sorry," I apologized, but they waved me off.

"Help her, make her feel better. Night, Wheeler," Lucas joked, patting me on the back as he jogged out of the room. Will and Dustin agreed and said goodnight before leaving the room. I was about to start talking when the door opened again and Will threw some pajama pants at me. I gave him a thumbs up and he left again.

"Um, I don't think I should leave the room. Someone might see me come back in," I spoke awkwardly, and she nodded. She just turned around and I think that's the fastest I've ever changed my pants. I did the same for her, but she took a lot longer. When I turned around, she was in a t-shirt and some shorts. I understand why, it's rather warm in here. She looked cute.

When does she not?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but cute Mileven chapter up next
> 
> edit, 12-16-18: I remember the next chapter and it actually is really cute.  
Also this book is as close to unrealistic as it can get and I hate it


	33. Thirty Two

_Mike._

El climbed into bed before I did, so I rushed over and joined her. She smiled widely, the biggest she's smiled in a while.

"What're you smiling about?" I asked, and a smile formed on my face, as well. Seeing her happy just brings me such a warm feeling.

"You're here, with me. I'm not sleeping alone." She looked at me and even her eyes were smiling. She looked so insanely pretty, I almost didn't respond.

"I'm here, of course. As long as you want me." I nodded, and she cuddled up into me. She held me tighter than she used to, but it wasn't in a bad way. It made me feel even better.

"Mike, you really should've tried," She whispered, reaching for my hand. I moved my arm, bringing it closer to her, and she began to play with my fingers. She does that when she's nervous to tell me something.

"I know, El. I regret it more than you think," I whispered back, and she looked up at me with worried eyes.

"What if I get scared? What do I do?" She sounded so horribly sad, it hurt.

"You can always tell Will, he'll help you," I spoke with an uneasy voice, and she looked down, away from my eyes. "Or you can keep Will's radio next to the bed and talk to me whenever you need. Just start talking, I'll wake up. I've done it before."

"What if the signal is bad?" She spoke slowly, obviously contemplating the words. It was cute, I love when she says more difficult words. She isn't always positive if she gets the meaning right, so she talks softer and slower.

"If you try to reach me and it doesn't work, I'll still hear you try. I'll just sneak out and come over," I spoke like it was no big deal, and it wasn't. Not for me, at least.

I reached up and started lightly playing with her hair, another habit I've gained. Sometimes we'd lay down in my room and just escape reality for a little while. I'd play with her hair and she loved it. She still loves it, I think it calms her down. Either that or it just reminds her that I'm there and I care about how comfortable she is.

"Thank you, Mike," She randomly whispered after a long silence, and I stopped playing with her hair so I could grab her hand. I laced our fingers together, squeezing lightly.

"For what?" I asked, truly not knowing what she'd be thanking me for. She sat up a bit, propped up on one arm, and looked at me with a very emotional expression.

"Everything, thank you for everything," She whispered, her eyes slightly misty.

"Hey, don't cry. I'll always be here, El. No matter when you need me, I'm here. I love you," I assured, sitting up and pulling her into a hug. She cried a little bit, and I just held her.

"I love you, too, Mike," She finally whispered back, pulling away and looking at me. She wasn't too far away and it was just like that moment in the cafeteria. My stomach went insane and my brain just told me what to do.

I was slower this time, not wanting to scare her. I leaned in and she seemed to know what was going on, because she followed along. We met in the middle, it was short and sweet. It was perfect, because it was with her.

And it was us, in that moment.  
Nothing but _us_.


	34. Thirty Three

_Mike._

"Oh my god, they're cuddling."

"Well, they are in looove."

"Should we wake them up?"

"No, let them sleep!"

I kept my eyes closed while my friends argued on and on.

"I'm awake, you know," I spoke up randomly, opening my eyes to look at them. They were looking at me with shocked expressions, then shifted their eyes to look at El. She was starting to wake up, so I loosened my arms a bit and let her situate herself. She opened her eyes and immediately sat up.

"Why are you watching us sleep?" She blurted out, and I honestly couldn't help but laugh. Everyone joined in, including El. She's never laughed out loud for that long, and her laugh is glorious.

"We weren't, really, we were just discussing ways to wake you guys up. But Mike heard us and woke up," Lucas explained, and everyone was still chuckling a bit.

"You guys cuddle so closely when you sleep. It's actually adorable," Dustin spoke up, his voice sounding matter-of-factly. I rolled my eyes and started to get up, rubbing my eyes slightly. I rearranged my pants before we all left the room to get some breakfast.

El was still a bit skittish in Will's house, but she was getting better and better by the minute. Mrs. Byers was in the kitchen, and asked El how she was doing.

"Good, I slept fine," She replied with a small smile, and Mrs. Byers just smiled back. The rest of breakfast was rather silent. No one had anything to say, especially not me. My mind was so occupied with thoughts of last night, I could barely eat.

It was so nice. We laid down afterwards and just listened to each others breathing. She fell asleep first, and I began to play with her hair again. She relaxed even more, and she slept like a rock. I'm assuming she needed it, she probably wasn't getting much sleep this past week. It still hurts to know she has nightmares now and I can't do anything about it. I could've tried to convince my mom to let her stay, but I didn't. I'm sure I'll regret it for the rest of my school days, until we can move out together.

"Hey, we should show El around better. She's never truly seen the places we like to go," Dustin spoke up, and we all agreed. El finished eating and went to get dressed.

"Dude, you're looking at her with even more love than usual. What's going on?" Lucas immediately asked, and I looked at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"What? Oh, nothing! I just...she looks cute in the morning," I spoke quickly, obviously sounding like I was lying. Because I was, but I don't want to tell them about last night. I don't think El would like their teasing. She'd be too embarrassed and not want to go out. They all looked at me with knowing eyes, but I ignored them.

El came out and Will went to change while we discussed where we were gonna go. We asked Mrs. Byers if she could drive us to our houses and she quickly agreed. She also corrected us, saying it's Miss Byers.

"Ok, we'll all meet up at my house," I suggested as we climbed into the car. Everyone agreed and we were off to our houses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worst ending ever but oh well!  
I really hope you enjoyed all these feels-y Mileven chapters because there's intense stuff ahead. Good luck to you all
> 
> edit, 12-16-18: oh thank GOD Joyce corrected them about her proper title cuz I was about this close to yeeting Mike out the window
> 
> edit, 5-5-19: This writing is so bad that I think I might actually throw myself. I say "spoke" and "spoke up" like every paragraph I'm gonna—


	35. Thirty Four

_Lucas._

I was dropped off and immediately ran and got my bike. I rode down the street to Mike's house and Will and El were waiting in the driveway. Dustin came riding up behind me, and we arrived at his house just as he opened the garage door and pushed his bike out. We didn't properly greet each other, we just got on our bikes.

"Mike," El spoke up, and we all stopped to look at her. Mike got off his bike and asked what was wrong. "I'm cold but I left my coat at Will's house," She explained, and he didn't answer. He didn't answer at all, actually, he just ran back up and into his house.

"Where'd he go?" Dustin asked, and everyone shrugged. Soon enough, Mike came running back out with one of his warmer jackets. He's such a boyfriend.

She put it on with a small smile and climbed on behind Mike. We rode off and Mike was talking about getting El her own bike. Does he not realize that she doesn't know how to ride a bike?

"So, where are we going first?" Will asked, and I rolled my eyes. We just talked about this before we left his house.

"Mirkwood, like we discussed," I teased, but he didn't tease back. He just nodded. I know he's really sensitive to Mirkwood, but he has to get over it someday. He can't ignore it completely.

We rode off in that direction and it was mostly silent. Not much to say until we get there. We were almost there, just up the road, when El spoke up.

"Wait, stop!" She yelled, which startled all of us. She's never that loud. We all stopped immediately and turned to look at her in shock. She just climbed off Mike's bike and started walking into the trees. Mike freaked out and followed her, so we all freaked out, as well.

"El, what is it?" Mike was yelling, as well, and the moment was hectic. Mike was following El, El looked freaked out to no end, and the rest of us were just confused. El eventually stopped, and we eventually caught up. She was practically crying by the time we reached her.

"Look," she whispered, pointing down at something. We all looked and there was a big hole in the tree. It was pulsing and glowing. It was a gate, and it was big.

"Hey, maybe that's always been there, right?" I spoke with a _very_ worried tone to my voice. El shook her head frantically.

"No, no, I would've seen it. I searched for a place to get out for a whole year," she spoke so frantically, I almost couldn't understand her. We all stared at it for a long time before Mike started shaking his head.

"This is bad...we need to go, now. Go!" He yelled, and we all started running back to the bikes. It felt dangerous in that moment, when he told us to go. There was danger just seeping from the tree, and I couldn't take it. That's all that my mind could comprehend.

Danger, danger, _danger_.


	36. Thirty Five

_Hopper._

Nothing was happening in the office today. It was basically silent, not a thing went wrong. I was sitting in my office, smoking a cigarette and playing with some cards when Flo opened the door suddenly.

"There's children here and they say they need to talk to you. And it's urgent," She spoke quicker than usual, and didn't even give me a chance to reply. Soon enough, all of the kids walked into the office. Eleven was crying, and Mike looked like he was about to. Will was also tearing up. Lucas and Dustin just looked absolutely terrified.

"What is it? What happened?" I immediately rushed out, standing up and walking around the front of my desk.

"We were riding down the road and El stopped us. We went and looked and there was a gate, a new one. I'm not sure what that could mean, maybe nothing, but I just had a bad feeling," Mike explained quickly, and I felt my heart drop into my stomach. A new gate?

"Oh Jesus, that's not good at all. Where was it? Take me," My voice was firm, telling them they have no choice. They nodded and we all went outside. "Get in my car, there's no time for bikes." They followed orders well, I'll give them that.

Will took front seat, which made me slightly happy, for some unknown reason. I ignored it for now, though, it's not important. What's important is making sure this town is safe.

I drove quickly, I just put my siren on to avoid people. One large perk of being the chief of police. Will explained where to go and as I drove, I glanced in my rearview mirror at the other kids. Mike was holding El tightly, she was still crying. I can only imagine how scared she is.

We arrived quickly and they ran while I jogged. We got to the tree quickly, it wasn't far into the trees. Which is a bad thing, people could see it and go to check it out.

"Should someone go in?" Dustin spoke up, and I immediately cut him off with a harsh tone.

"That will make things worse. We just need to keep an eye out and hope nothing bad is happening," I always spoke with so much authority, I felt kind of bad. They must think I'm mad all the time, but I'm really just worried and want them to be ok. I just want everyone to be safe.

"What? We're just gonna leave?" Mike spoke up in an angry voice, and I nodded.

"That's right, I don't want any of you coming back into these woods. Do you understand me?" I ordered _again_, and they nodded frantically. I led them out of the trees and into my car. I drove them to the station and allowed them to ride their bikes back. They promised not to go back into the woods on the way back.

I didn't really believe them, but it's time I have some faith in someone other than myself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But why is Hop literally best dad?? I love him
> 
> edit, 12-16-18: wow I actually like that last line hEYO


	37. Thirty Six

_Mike._

I so badly wanted to go into the woods. I want to get to the bottom of this, I can't deal with knowing it's there. If it means something bad, I'm obviously going to assume the worst. Something could happen to one of us, or El could be hurt in some way.

On the way back, we obviously passed Mirkwood. I stopped and everyone looked at me with confused eyes. El's arms around me tightened, and she scooted a bit closer.

"Mike, what are we doing?" Will spoke with worry evident in his voice, and I shrugged, staring into the trees.

"Mike, please just keep going," El whispered to me, and it kind of snapped me out of it. I nodded and we rode off past the trees.

If there's something bad in those woods, I don't want to stick around to find out. But what if there really is and someone gets hurt? I'd feel responsible, honestly. We know there's something going on and if someone gets hurt, we could've stopped it. Or at least tried.

Without truly discussing anything, we all rode to my house. It's just our go-to when there's something we need to talk about.

We put our bikes in the garage and walked inside the house, ready to go downstairs and brainstorm. But my mom stopped me, a big smile visible on her face.

"Mike! Good! Guess what?" She cheered, leading us into the living room.

"What?" I didn't sound too excited, just confused. What could she possibly be so happy to tell me about?

"I talked to your school and they're going to let El come in this week! She'll go with you from class to class and see how things work and what's going on. She needs an education, and I talked them into it!" My mom sounded so excited, and honestly, so was I. El won't have to stay home with my mom and Holly while I go to school anymore, she can come with me.

"That's great! El, did you hear that? You'll come to school with us!" I cheered, and she actually looked kinda happy. I'm sure she's just worried about the gate, so I don't blame her for being unenthusiastic. I would be, too, if I went through what she did.

"So have fun tonight but tomorrow, we're gonna go buy her a backpack and some notebooks. It'll be fun, I promise." I wasn't about to argue with my mom, but something didn't make sense to me.

"Mom, why are you still taking care of El so much? Isn't that technically Miss Byers's job now?" I asked in a very confused voice, and she nodded.

"Technically, yes, but she can't afford it yet. Once she gets regular paid checks at her new job, she'll start paying." I nodded, nearly forgetting about her new job. She let us go and we went downstairs, where El and Will already looked freaked out all over again.

"Hey, guys, it'll be ok," I spoke in an uneasy voice, not even convinced myself. El just got more scared and didn't seem to care as she walked up to me and hugged me tight. I held her tight as she started crying.

I glanced at the guys and we all shared a worried glance, then they all looked at El with even more worry. I didn't know what to do in this instant, no one can make her feel better. She could be in danger, we don't know.

She could be in danger and I'm not sure I can protect her.  
In fact, I'm sure I can't.


	38. Thirty Seven

_Mike._

I was woken up by my mom at six and I hurried to get dressed. The sooner I get dressed, the sooner I see El. It's Monday and I have to ride to Will's, pick up El, then we have to all ride to meet up. It's a busy morning, but I'll get used to it.

I was completely dressed and practically ran downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Michael, slow down, you need to eat breakfast," My mom scolded, but I shook my head.

"Not hungry, thanks Mom! Bye everyone," I was being really loud, but I don't care. I ran into the garage and opened the door, then walked my bike out and closed the door again. The ride to Will's house went so fast because of how occupied my mind was. I wonder how El will do? What will she wear?

I hopped off my bike and jogged to Will's door. I knocked and he came out first.

"She's still getting ready." He smiled cheekily at me, noticing how I looked a bit nicer than usual. It's my first day at school with my girlfriend, I need to look decent. She'll probably be wearing something nice, so I wanted to, as well. No big deal.

The door then opened again and El stepped out in the plaid dress she bought with Nancy. She looked so pretty, I was honestly a bit unstable. Her hair was wavy but neat and she had it pinned back with a little barrette. The dress still looked perfect. She looks perfect.

"Ready to go?" I breathed out, and she nodded with a small, shy smile.

We got on my bike and she made sure to tuck her dress under her legs so it wouldn't fly up. It was an odd sight, considering I've obviously never had to worry about that...now I'm thinking about me in a skirt, what the hell?

We met up with Dustin, then Lucas, then rode off to school. We got there and the yard was pretty full, and El looked rather nervous. But we got off the bike and I immediately grabbed her hand, soothing her a bit. Everyone turned to stare at us as we walked towards the school, and the first person to catch my eye was Troy. He gave me an uneasy look, and I couldn't help but smirk a little. He knows what she can do, but no one would believe him. He's scared of her.

We walked to science class and Mr. Clarke let us sit near the back, where there was two empty seats right next to each other. We took our seats, and El was looking around curiously. I didn't say anything, I just let her look around. I looked to the front of the room to see Dustin and Max talking. Her face was bright red, so I'm assuming he asked her to the Snowball. It made me happy, to see him happy. Will and Lucas were just looking at him with shocked-but proud-expressions.

We went through all of my morning classes slowly, and she looked absolutely lost the entire time. I expected her to be, considering she had no idea what any of it was. Except for english class, she knows how to read so she caught up fast. She started reading bigger words, and she looked so happy. She was probably more than happy to feel like a normal kid. And probably the only kid in history to like school.

Lunch was similar, we all ate and El tried to avoid all the stares. If anyone was bothering her, I'd tell them to go away. Nothing exciting happened until we went outside. We were sitting at a picnic table, just talking to El about how school was going, when we all felt someone approach the table.

"Hey, uh, could I sit with you guys?" It was Max, I didn't even have to look to know. I finally turned to her, and she was squinting from the sun. She was in a puffy coat and her hair was in braids on the sides of her head. She had freckles and they were very visible in the sunlight. Dustin motioned for her to sit next to him, and she made her way over with light steps. There's something about her that makes me uneasy, almost like she shouldn't be here.

I'm not sure why it went so silent once she was there, but El didn't speak another word. She just nodded or shook her head. Or shrugged, if it wasn't a yes or no question. It was unsettling and weird. Dustin talked the most, considering he wanted Max to feel welcome. I couldn't bring myself to be nice and make conversation, she just gave me a weird vibe.

We went through the rest of the classes and went home, but I couldn't shake that feeling. I couldn't shake it for days.

Max has a secret, and I want to find out what it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The queen has entered the chat  
Reminder that no one needs or wants: Max is my favorite character. In the show and this series but mostly this series. Also she's basically an OC, to anyone that doesn't remember. I wrote her into this book when all we knew was that there was going to be a character named Max, played by Sadie. Ok bye I'll shut up now  
-Apple


	39. Thirty Eight

_Hopper._

I couldn't for the life of me figure out what that gate was. Sure, it's obviously just a hole leading from one place to another, but who opened it and what is it's purpose? Has Hawkins Lab changed their mind? Are they coming after Eleven again so they made a new gate? I don't know how they made the first one, even.

It was killing me. It's still killing me, but I can't do anything about it right now. I need to go to work, not that anything will happen. Nothing ever does. I still have to go, just in case.

I drove to the station at a leisurely pace, there weren't many cars on the roads. It was weird, considering it's Wednesday morning. It's also nine, so it's not like it's too early to be out. The roads and sidewalks are usually buzzing at this time. It made me nervous.

I arrived at the station and got out to see two extra cars out front. They're regular cars, too, so what's going on?

I went inside and it was chaos. Everyone was bustling around quickly, doing what looked to be five things at once. This hasn't happened in a year, not since Will went missing.

"What's going on?" I spoke loudly, and everyone stopped to look at me. A woman and a man ran up to me, and the woman was talking frantically. "Ok, ok, slow down. Let's go to my office," I spoke over her, then led the way. We got inside and the second I closed the door, she was on a rant.

"My daughter is gone! I don't know where she is, but she's gone! I went inside for not even two minutes and when I went out again, she was gone!" She was yelling, her words were jumbled.

"Ok, we'll find her, don't worry. Let's start off slow, ok? Why did you leave her outside?" I spoke calmly, but loudly. Being assertive will not help right now, I learned that with Joyce.

"Well, she's thirteen, for one! It's not a problem, you can leave kids outside!" She was freaking out again, so I tried to calm her down again.

"I know, it's ok. I just need to know why she was outside. Please, stay calm, we'll find her. Tell me what happened," I was gentle, and what I assume to be her husband grabbed her hand. She took a deep breath, then continued.

"She was at school and she was getting picked on by these other girls. They pushed her down and she landed badly and cut her leg open. She came home crying and I didn't want her to spread blood everywhere. It's stupid now, I wish I would've taken her inside. But I didn't, I went in and got a wet cloth and a bandage. I hurried back outside and she was just...gone." Her voice broke at the end, and I felt bad. Losing a kid, I sure know how that feels.

"You said she was bleeding?" I asked in a breathy voice, and she nodded. "And this was during the day? Was anyone around, did anyone see?" I was almost as frantic as her now.

"No, we live in a really secluded area." She shook her head, her voice weak. This is bad, this is really bad.

"Listen, all I can tell you for right now is to stay calm. Make missing person posters and hang them up. Call everyone you know, I'll have search parties out." I ordered on accident, but I think it will help ground her a bit. She nodded, and her husband agreed. "Hey, listen, this happened a year ago. I don't know if you remember, but a young boy the same age was taken. I just need you to know that there is hope, because he's here and alive and perfectly fine. I'm confident I can save your daughter."

"Thank you so much, Chief. I'll get right on those posters and calling everyone," She promised, and they helped me fill out a missing person report. They left and I was almost right behind them.

"Get searching, as soon as possible. I need to inform someone of this, I'll be back," I yelled as I walked through the main area of the station. I didn't hear a response as I jogged to my car and raced away, putting my siren on. I was more than speeding, but I don't care at this point.

I was at the middle school quickly and rushed inside. I basically burst into the office and Principal Coleman turned to me with a shocked expression.

"I need five kids. Will Byers, Michael Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, and Eleven." I ordered, and he nodded and rushed out of the room. It wasn't long before they were back and the kids all looked so scared. "I'll be taking them with me."

"Chief, I don't think you're allow-" He tried to argue, but I cut him off.

"These kids are coming with me, it's very important," I spoke in a very firm voice, and he didn't argue again. He let me have them and we all left quickly. They kept asking what was happening, so I shushed them. "Not yet, I'll explain soon."

We got in my car and I raced to the high school next. I went inside and the high school principal was a lot more cool about it.

"Who do you need?" She asked nicely, and I rushed the names out.

"Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers, and Steve Harrington." Steve isn't included too much, but he knows about the monster, so maybe it's best if he's informed. Also, it doesn't hurt to have an extra mind helping out.

They arrived very quickly, and I didn't get a real confirmation before leading them out of the school.

"Follow me, we're going to your house, Jonathan," I ordered, and they hurried to get into Jonathan's car. No one said a word, probably seeing my determined face and not wanting to say anything. We all raced to the house and everyone followed me to the door. Jonathan unlocked the door and we all rushed in. Joyce was on the couch doing laundry and gave me a very confused look.

"It's happening again. I don't know how, but it's happening. A little girl was taken, someone in your grade. She was bleeding and there was no witnesses. The only problem is that it happened in broad daylight," I explained, and no one had anything to say. They were in shock.

Then, all at once, almost every single person in the room started to cry. This is going to break us.


	40. Thirty Nine

_Lucas._

The girl that disappeared is named Erin. I saw her around often, I just never thought to talk to her. She has really dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. Her skin is porcelain white, as well. She's truly beautiful, but I never got the chance to talk to her. She could be dead, for all I know.

I know she was picked on and I feel horrible. I heard it happen once in a while and I could've said something. But I didn't, I was too scared that I'd be picked on, as well. We just recently escaped that with Troy, I don't want it happening again.

But I should've helped. For all I know, she would still be here if I had just stepped up. One difference in her life and she could be here with us, not in the Upside Down.

It's Thursday morning and the school is just absolutely buzzing. Everyone is talking about how scared they are, or how confused. Mostly talking about how this is almost exactly a year later. People seem to think it's some curse.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" Max randomly showed up, and half of us jumped. Dustin just gave her a large smile and began explaining that a girl went missing. He didn't go into much detail, which is good. At least he knows when to stop, sometimes he talks too much to practical strangers. "Oh god, are you serious? What was her name again?"

"Erin, her name _is_ Erin. She's not dead," I spoke up in her defense, feeling bad. People are saying 'was' and it's bothering me. I just have this gut feeling that she's alive, I'm not sure why.

"Oh, alright. I know her, actually, she was picked on yesterday. She was staring at me as I passed and then a bunch of girls called her gay. She denied it, obviously, but they got worse and pushed her over. She cut her leg open pretty bad. I wanted to step in, but I knew it wouldn't help. I was basically the reason she was being picked on, I didn't want to make it worse," Max ranted, and I squinted a bit at her. I know I'm being hypocritical, but why didn't she try to help? At least get a teacher and tell them what happened?

I don't know, I just ignored it. I can't talk, I never stood up, either.

The day went by slowly, I was just thinking about Erin. Everything in me was screaming that she's alive and she needs help.

She's alive, but not for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok guys...I don't want to alarm you or anything...but...there's two more chapters left in this story...
> 
> edit, 12-16-18: Damn this story has so many hidden clues and shit in it but no one would ever know, only I would lol


	41. Forty

_Mike._

It's Friday...tonight is the Snowball.

I can't focus in class, I can't focus on anything. I'm just worried about how things will turn out. What if she doesn't have fun? What if she gets too uncomfortable?

She seemed rather nervous, too, considering she wasn't talking much and had those eyes. She was in deep thought and thinking of the worst possible outcomes, which kinda hurt to see. I hope she knows that it will be perfect as long as we're together.

Dustin looked rather happy, though, as he discussed plans with Max. She still gives me a really weird feeling, but I'm ignoring it for now. I don't want to ruin his night just because she gives me a weird vibe. If he's happy, I shouldn't ruin that for him.

-

_Hopper._

I was out, searching the woods for Erin. I'm alone, which I know isn't a good thing, but I'm the only one that truly knows what happened. I know I'm approaching Hawkins Lab, and I'm nervous, but I have to check. There could easily be some kind of clue around.

I walked closer, but I was slow. I didn't want anyone to see me, it wouldn't end well. I got closer, though, and a really loud siren started going off. It scared me half to death, I obviously wasn't expecting it.

The siren went on for less than a minute before it was shut off. I stood by, kind of hidden, and soon saw a bunch of guys walk out and get in their vans. I started to walk forward, ready to catch up and stop them. But they sped away before I could.

This is bad, this is really bad.


	42. Forty One

_Will._

We left school pretty late, so we all rushed home. El obviously just went with Mike, considering Nancy is getting her ready. I went home and my mom was there and freaking out.

"Mom, calm down, it's just a dance," I chuckled and walked back towards my room. I began to walk in, but glanced back and into El's room. It still had nothing in it, basically. I just felt weird looking at it and knowing it's her room. I still feel like she should be with Mike.

"But you didn't go last year! This is your first school dance!" My mom cheered as she followed me down the hall. I turned around and faced her with an amused smile.

"Mom, I'm getting changed. I'll be out in a minute and you can gush all you want." I walked into my room and started to change. I honestly can't believe I'm going to the Snowball. I wouldn't tell anyone, but I'm actually so excited. I wanted to go last year, but no one else was going. I don't care that I don't have a date, I just want to go.

I'm more than happy that El is back, I can see how happy it makes Mike. And her, of course. She's really quiet and secluded whenever she's here without him, but she talks like crazy when he's around. And she's open, she gives hugs and all that. They need each other and I'm so glad they're finally together.

I finished getting dressed and walked out of the room slowly. My mom was hovering, so she immediately freaked out. I rolled my eyes.

"Mom, I've worn a suit before," I laughed, but she just kept freaking out.

"But this is your first time at a school dance, Will! It's different," She cheered, and I just rolled my eyes again. It wasn't long before my mom was shooing me out the door and into the car. We headed to Mike's house, and I was smiling so wide.

-

_Lucas._

We all decided to meet up at Mike's, considering El will take the longest to get ready. I think Max said something about wanting to go with, since she doesn't have anyone to help her get ready. She apparently only has an older brother so she wants Nancy to help.

I'm not sure, but I did hear her asking Mike if it's ok. I'm assuming he said yes, he's too nice to say no.

I'm getting dressed and my mom is trying to convince me that wearing a white suit is too cliché. It isn't working, I know I rock that white suit.

I'm not gonna lie, all I can really think about is Erin. We're all going to the Snowball and having fun while she's suffering. I wish I could've taken her, I would've asked her to go. I'm not sure she'd say yes, but I'd still offer. Maybe next year.

I left the house with my parents and we walked over to Mike's house. I saw Will's car and took in a deep breath. This will be interesting.

-

_Max._

I'm surprised Mike agreed, I thought he'd say no. I know he has a weird feeling about me, most of them do. His feeling is the strongest, though. I followed him to his house and Eleven kept glancing at me with uneasy eyes. I wonder if she knows.

His house is really big, I was honestly surprised. Why does Eleven live with Will, then? He has little money.

When we got inside, I got to meet his mom and his sister, Nancy. They were just confused as to why Mike is suddenly talking to so many girls. He isn't, really, he just has to accept me. For Dustin.

"Thank you for letting me come over," I thanked Mike as we walked upstairs, and he gave me a smile. It was fake.

"It's no problem, you're welcome anytime," He replied. Also fake.

Nancy helped Eleven and I get ready, and Eleven looked so happy and excited. I feel bad for her and Mike, they have no idea what's coming.

-

_Eleven._

I'm very excited. The Snowball is going to be so much fun, I've been waiting a long time for this. Mike showed me what dancing is, and it was really funny. I don't laugh often, but I did that day.

I'm getting ready with Max, but I don't feel too comfortable around her. She gives me this really weird feeling in my stomach. I don't know what it means, but I don't think it's a bad feeling. And it's confusing me. I don't like it, I feel almost like I already knew her. But I don't, I've never seen her in my life.

Nancy did my makeup and I looked very pretty. So did Max, but she always does. I couldn't do much to my hair, but Nancy made it wavy. She also put a little clip in it that was silver and sparkly.

Max's dress was blue and short, which was pretty. It went well with her hair, which Nancy curled and put a blue bow in. I haven't seen myself yet, but I'm sure Max looks better.

It wasn't long before Nancy said she was done and got really excited. She was smiling really big, which made me smile, as well. She let us both look in he mirror and Max went first. She looked really happy and thanked Nancy. Then I went.

I looked very pretty. I didn't expect it, but I did. I really like the white dress, it looks better than I thought it would. I felt good while wearing it, I want Mike to see me. Hopefully he likes it as much as I do.

Max went down first and I heard people saying she looked very nice. I started to feel nervous again, what if they don't like how I look? I want to be pretty, I just don't know if I am.

I walked down not long after, and Mike's mom was the first to see me. She gasped a bit, and I don't know if it was good or bad. Hopefully good.

I was scared to look at Mike, for some reason. I've looked at everyone else, and they've all got big eyes and big smiles. I got closer before I finally looked at Mike.

That was the first time in a long time that I couldn't tell what emotion he was feeling. He looked happy, but also something else. I didn't know what it was.

"El, you look..." He started, but didn't finish.

"Pretty?" I asked, my voice hopeful. He opened his mouth, but didn't say anything for a minute.

"Yeah, but...more. You look beautiful," He breathed out, almost. I furrowed my eyebrows. I'm not positive what that means, but I know it felt amazing when he said it.

"What is beautiful?" I whispered, feeling embarrassed. I've heard people use the word and I've seen it in books, I just don't really know what it means.

"Beautiful is pretty but more. You're more than pretty, you're beautiful. Gorgeous, even." He smiled widely, and I did the same. I'm assuming gorgeous means even _more_ than beautiful, and it made me so happy.

He makes me so so happy.

-

_Dustin_.

Max looks amazing and I can't believe she's actually going with me. I just feel unworthy, in a way. I know I'm pretty great, but she's amazing. And she just looks so gorgeous in her dress.

"Hey, I really love the curled hair," I whispered to her as we walked out to my car. My dad is driving us, which has me so relieved. If my mom drove us, she would be so embarrassing. My dad will keep quiet.

"Thank you, Dustin." She smiled widely at me, and I had another silent moment. She's just so beautiful and adorable, I kind of know how Mike feels. Not as much, obviously, but I know how he felt that first week. I'm just amazed that a girl likes me.

The ride was silent, which was awkward but also better. I'll make a fool of myself tonight, I'm sure of it, but I want to wait until later on, at least.

We walked inside and everything actually looked really nice. The decorations were all blue, white, and silver. A lot of it matches Max's dress, actually. I felt awkward, honestly, I didn't know what to do. Do we check out the food? Does she already want to dance? I don't know what she wants to do and it's making me nervous.

"So, what would you like to do?" I spoke up awkwardly, and she shrugged.

"Maybe we should wait for everyone so it isn't as awkward. We can find a table that's big enough for all of us and sit down," She offered, and I nodded. How did I not think of that? We started walking but I stopped.

"Hey, wait, can we check the food table?" I spoke up, staring at the table with what looked to be hundreds of different desserts. I'm living a charmed life tonight.

She nodded and we walked over. It took everything in me to refrain from literally running ahead of her. But once we were there, the anticipation of the walk just left my body and I was filled with a wonderful feeling that only food brings me.

"Oh my gosh, this is heaven," Max suddenly spoke up, and I looked at her with big eyes. She's perfect, she's officially perfect.

We basically raided the table, putting everything that looked good on multiple plates. A teacher told us that we had too much and we just told them it was for our friends. She didn't believe us, obviously, but she left anyway.

This night has started off perfect.

-

_Mike._

El looks absolutely amazing, I can't even express how much. She just had me speechless, she still does. Sitting in the car, she's looking out the window at the moon. It's shining in on her and she's just glowing, she looks so happy. I still can't believe she's mine, it feels so unreal. I don't deserve her, but I'll definitely take her. With open arms, for as long as she wants me around. I can't imagine life without her.

Lucas is riding with us and he looks so confident. He went on a small rant about how good he looks in his suit. I have to admit, he looks awesome. His mom was still trying to convince him to change before we left, but he was just rolling his eyes and made us back him up. It was actually quite amusing, in all honesty.

We arrived quickly and my nerves were through the roof. I'm still worried El won't have a good time, or she'll be too embarrassed to dance. I don't know, I'm sure everything will be fine, I just have a habit of assuming the worst.

When we left the car, she gave me a shy smile and Lucas walked ahead of us. She looked at me with such happy eyes, I melted. It was so reassuring to know that she's happy. I know she's also nervous, but at least she's happy. When we got inside, it wasn't hard to spot everyone.

Lucas was walking to the dessert table, Will was sitting at a really big table. Dustin and Max were already at the dessert table, shoveling food onto mini plates. This is already interesting and I literally just walked in. El was looking around the room at all of the decorations and people, and she looked amazed. She was mostly focusing on all of the shiny things, which was almost everything. Her eyes were big and when I fully looked at her, her eyes were shining brighter than anything in the room.

"Let's see what everyone is up to," I offered, and she nodded. I walked her over to the dessert table, and her face lit up all over again. It normally does around food, to be honest. Lucas noticed us first, and smiled widely as he also stuffed things onto his plate. Then Dustin looked up at us.

"Oh, hey guys! The food is awesome! They've got real Nilla Wafers and basically every dessert under the sun. Try the gingerbread cookies! They're really good," He ranted, and Max nodded with wide eyes as she stuffed a cookie into her mouth. It made me laugh, they're actually perfect for each other. El got excited and looked at me with shy eyes as she let go of my hand and reached for a plate. She got a few things, but she looked awkward, so I got a plate of my own.

We walked to the table and Will smiled at us. I sat next to him, then El sat next to me. She was really careful with her food, obviously not wanting to get any on her dress. Soon, everyone joined and we started talking about random stuff. It was a lot of fun, I've gotta say. But soon, we all finished eating, and a really good song came on. Lucas, Will, Dustin, and Max practically ran to the dance floor. They were so open and didn't look at all embarrassed, which I'm kinda jealous of. I've always been a pretty awkward person, especially with dancing. But I felt better knowing El is also embarrassed, I didn't feel as alone. We walked slowly over to our friends, and they all waved us over. I loosened up a bit when I saw how crazy the guys are dancing and how no one was even paying attention to them. El and I danced, but it was really subtle. Still a lot of fun, though.

We were all having an amazing time, but the song we were currently listening to came to an end. We stood and waited for the next one, and my heart stopped when a slow song started. I looked at El with worried eyes, and she just looked confused. I didn't show her how to slow dance, I wanted this to be special and sudden. Now that it's happening, I wish I had shown her.

Lucas and Will walked away, giving all of us a thumbs up. Max was really straight forward, just like Dustin, so they didn't have much trouble. They had a big space between them, but it was still cute.

El looked at me and I approached her slowly.

"Mike, what's going on?" She spoke up in a worried voice, and I gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's ok, El, don't worry. This is called a slow dance, and couples do it. See?" I asked, pointing at all of the other couples that are dancing. She looked around and nodded slowly. "We don't have to if you aren't comfortable with it," I assured, but she just looked at me for a second before stepping closer.

"Do I put my hands here?" She asked, slowly bringing her hands up to my shoulders. I nodded as she wrapped them around my neck and linked her hands together. I slowly placed my hands on her waist, as well.

"Is this ok?" I asked quietly, and she nodded with a small smile. "Stand as close as you're comfortable with, ok?" She nodded, standing a bit closer than before. "Ok, now we just sway a bit," I whispered again, and she followed my lead slowly. It wasn't long before she stepped forward again and laid her head on my shoulder, making my insides melt.

"Mike?" She whispered, and it affected me in this moment. She's here, with me. Forever.

"Yeah, El?" I whispered back, and she pulled away from my shoulder. She looked at me with troubled, but determined eyes. She caught me completely off guard by randomly leaning in and placing her lips on mine. I melted a bit, and so did she. It was short, as expected, but it was perfect. She pulled away before I would've, in all honesty. But we both had the biggest smiles. "I love you so much, El."

"I love you, too, Mike," She breathed out, placing her head back on my shoulder. "Your heart is beating really fast," She commented, and I chuckled lightly. She started mimicking it quietly, making us both laugh. I don't know how much more adorable and perfect she can get, but I know I won't be able to handle it. I am literally the luckiest guy on earth.

The song came to an end way too soon. We walked over to the table again, both wearing ginormous smiles.

"Do you need anything to drink?" I randomly spoke up, and she nodded. I smiled and walked off towards the tables. I didn't really know what to get her, but I'm sure she'll like almost anything. It was really loud all of a sudden, with people all around me. Once I actually got to the table, I suddenly got this really bad feeling in my stomach. I don't know why or what it is, but it was bad.

That's when there was a really big bang, and my heart sank. I heard so many things at once, but there was one thing my brain focused on.

El screaming my name, screaming for me.

I turned around just in time to see her be picked up and hauled away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I'm so sorry  
That's the end...
> 
> edit, 12-16-18: Thus, the day I was given the nickname "Satan", and I was pegged as evil.  
I hope you all enjoyed the story, I actually had fun editing it♥️
> 
> edit, 5-5-19: Tbh this story sucks, but I'll love it for as long as I live and breathe. Thank you for reading, everyone.  
-Apple  
ps. I miss my nickname "Satan" :(
> 
> To ao3 readers ! I will be uploading the sequel asap, so don't worry. There won't be a big wait haha  
Thank you for reading!


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